


Bound by Blood

by yeolinski



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alpha Kang Daniel, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Blood and Violence, Dark, M/M, Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mild Language, Mpreg, Murder, No Underage Sex, Omega Ong Seongwu, Organized Crime, Power Dynamics, Slow Burn, Trash Fic, Violence, bUt people do die, endgame ongniel, everybody are somewhat evil, have I mentioned it's a trash fic, mentioned drug use, omegas have no rights, ongniel don't die, power abuse, rotten society, underage tag for minors being exposed to violence or abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-07-08 14:42:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 15
Words: 51,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15932555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeolinski/pseuds/yeolinski
Summary: Connected by blood and revenge, Seongwoo and Daniel's story somehow turns into one about love.





	1. Prologue: Seongwoo

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, hello and welcome!
> 
> Please read the tags before proceeding, that's first of all. Feel free to ask me about things you misunderstand.  
> This is an actual trash fic, so don't expect too much -- it is based on an actual dream I had, and I changed a few details for it to sound... more coherent and less crazy lol.  
> I am aware the chapter is rather small - but that's kind of the point. I want to deliver faster updates and keep you guys in the loop. I will be adding more tags as we go. :)  
> Thank you so much for supporting me and this fic, and insisting on it to happen! I hope it won't disappoint anybody! :)

Seongwoo drops the book on the table.

It spreads a cloud of dust so big, that even Minhyun sneezes waving his hand in front of his face.

It’s a sunny, bright afternoon, and all things considered, healthy 9 year olds like the two of them, should be out in the playground, racing with friends or talking about gadgets, but today is _Minhyun’s_ day and on Minhyun’s day they do what Minhyun wants to do.

And he always wants to do the same thing, read old literature in dad’s library.

It’s true that this was the biggest standing library in all of asia, but still — not something most kids would want to do in their free time, especially when you have screens with all the information you can possibly want.

Their parents had come up with this brilliant plot, ever since last year, when Minhyun presented as an alpha. Once a week it’s Minhyun’s day, and once a week it’s Seongwoo’s day. So they’d get along — Seongwoo didn’t really see a reason why, he and Minhyun got along fine, but his nanny told him, with a smile on her face, that this would change soon with puberty. _It’s unnatural for two alphas to get along for extended periods_ , she said.

Seongwoo didn’t ask why out of all the kids at school, he had to get along with Minhyun - but he didn’t have to.  It was obvious from his parents' smirking faces, knowing smiles, and their little head nods. They’ve talked about this before, choosing a proper mate for Seongwoo - and Hwang Minhyun was their choice.

All in all, he was a great candidate - his dad and Minhyun’s mom were very distant relatives, so it was still family, even if to too distant to be called one. Their status was also much lower, so Minhyun had no problem with taking the Ong family name. His parents got him into Seongwoo’s school, the best Alpha school in the district, ever since last year, and made sure he’s getting all the proper etiquette lessons, and tutors he needed to get. The way his father put it, Minhyun should be thankful for this honor. The honor of marrying Ong Seongwoo.

“What’s this?” He asks, mildly interested.

“A book.”

“I can see that.” He turns to catch the title, but crinkles his nose; “What kind of a book?”

It was obviously a book before the war, and the cover was a pattern of a blurred crowd, and in golden imprint it said ‘The Many Faces of Ω’.

“ _A_ book,” He juts out his chin; “about omegas.”

Minhyun’s face is distorted with shock, and then outrage. He glances at the slightly opened door of the library; “Where did you find it?”

“At the far back.” Seongwoo waves his screen. Good things the servants tagged the books, otherwise, there is no way he would’ve found it. He hated that section of the library, it was poorly lighted, and the servants would barely ever clean it so it almost smelled like rotten wood.

“You know we can’t read it.” He whispers, leaning down, as if to be even more quiet.

Seongwoo rolls his eyes; “Who says we can’t? I didn't hear anybody saying we can’t. We’re allowed to be curious.”

“If your dad finds out, he’s never going to let us in here again.”

“So what? I don’t particularly like it here, anyway. It’s something _you_ like to do. Not me.”

He frowns at that, but Seongwoo ignores him.

Seongwoo skims the first few pages of the introduction, because he can’t really be bothered to read all of that.

“Seongwoo — that’s… please, put it away. We’ll both get into trouble. Where did you even hear about this —”

“At school,” Seongwoo cuts him off; “My friends were talking about omegas. They said they’re hideous. I got curious, but couldn’t get through the blocks my parents put on the screen.”

There’s a lot of words. Seongwoo wants the pictures. And the pictures do come.

But… they look just like people.

Normal people in outdated clothing.

They’re not different than any betas - or alphas.

Short ones.

Tall ones.

Fuller figure, thinner figure. Dark. White. With green eyes. With long hair.

They all look — frightened.

Instead of the excitement that was bubbling inside of him - of seeing monsters and demons - he’s filled with a sense of dread.

“Are these actual omegas?” He asks, flipping through the pages, trying to find the wrong ones, the ugly ones - the ones that would make sense in the context he had imagined them in.

What they were taught in class about omegas is that they were a danger to society, which is why they were kept in isolation.

“Betas aren’t very different than Alphas, so why would omegas be?” Minhyun says, but now he’s fully turned toward the book, quite clearly interested. “Did you think they grow horns or something?” He turns the pages, after Seongwoo stops.

“ _No_.” Not horns, but maybe mutations, like radiated people in the movies, or zombies. “They look… scared.”

Minhyun turns the book over to read the back cover briefly; “I bet they were. This was when Omegas were sent to concentration camps — before there were facilities. The photographer was trying to fight for their right to be free - so he probably asked them to look more frightened.”

“Or maybe they are actually _frightened_.” Seongwoo insists.

“My father says omegas can be very manipulative.”

“Did he ever met one?”

Minhyun shrugs.

“Then how could he possibly know?”

Seongwoo flips the book back, and goes back to the introduction part, for a quick skim.

The author talks about the omega camps — and it makes Seongwoo nauseous just to read about it. He slams it closed - he stands up to take it back to its place, and just ignore it’s existence - when the floor seems a bit shaky.

That’s the last thing he remembers.

  
  
  


When he comes to, he calls out for his nanny.

She takes his hand; “I’m here, baby, I’m here.” She draws his hair back from his face. "How are you feeling?"

He bubbles his head right and left, as if he wasn't sure. This isn't the first time he fainted, nor is it the second. One time he fainted after running during class, at school. It was such a huge deal. Everybody talked about it, and wanted to ask how he was feeling -- even the teachers.

Seongwoo feels disoriented and wants to get up, but she convinces him to stay in bed and brings him water. He can hear the argument, through the widely open door.

“... If he turns up being a beta it’s not the end of the world — we’ll just give him some pills—”

“Why should he be a beta? His mother is an alpha, and his father is an alpha — unless you got something _you_ want to tell me.”

“How dare you?” His mother sounds guarded, not for the first time. “How dare you say that to me after you’ve already conducted a paternity test, twice?”

“Our family — My family — has had a respectable lineage of alphas for generations. Our name predates the war. We built this city from scratch. Along come you — suggesting my son is a beta?”

“You dare call yourself an alpha, too? Look at yourself, you’re a pathetic, paranoid piece of—”

“May I have a word?”

There’s silence for a moment. Seongwoo vaguely recognizes the third voice; his physician, probably.

“I know it is not in my place — but considering his age, and the fact that most children his age had already presented - I had decided to test him for beta pheromones.”

“And?” His mother urges.

“He has none.”

“Oh, thank god.” She sounds so relieved, that Seongwoo can't help but feel relief as well. 

Seongwoo sits up on his bed and is mildly distracted by his nanny. Whenever she knows he's not feeling good - she always suggests him the same thing - a milkshake, with strawberries, caramel and vanilla ice-cream. Sometimes he wishes she could be his real mom, instead. She wouldn't mind him being a beta. She wouldn't care, too. He nods, and she leaves, closing the door. She's probably doesn't want him to get upset over hearing the argument. 

He crawls out of bed, and sits near the crack of the door.

“... hormonal imbalance.” The doctor is saying.

“So what are you suggesting?” Father sounds angrier than before. “That he may never present?”

“It’s not unheard of. There are… a few other kids, with this genetic disorder - it’s quite common in close-knit alpha communities.”

“Are you suggesting I’m somehow related to this… rat? It’s bad enough I have to fuck her—”

“Oh hush, at least I’m not a whore like your mother— How many bastards brothers you have? Five? How many of them you already managed to eliminate out of your path?”

"Quiet, woman!" 

“The point is!" The doctor tries, "The point is — I won’t… be naming the children, and I doubt you will know who they are. Given the right cocktail of supplements, he won’t be any different than any other boy. Some of these cases - perhaps few - but some hormonal imbalances do cure by themselves during and after puberty, but it'll be years from now. For now, you should focus on making his life easier, and making him feel normal.”

"Should've been born normal, if he wanted to be normal." His father says. 

Seongwoo hugs his knees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first few chapters are going to be prologue-ish?  
> Like... about their childhood and all that. But keep on reading, I won't be twiddling with it too long.  
> The underage tag is for children dealing with stuff children shouldn't be dealing with in a perfect world, not for sex or anything, so make sure you take note of it.


	2. Prologue: Seongwoo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TINYYY SMALL NOTE BEFORE YOU BEGIN:  
> This story kinda changed plots for 3 times over the course of 4 days. Guess I put the 'fluid' part to the test!  
> Initially, it was not going to go this way, at all, and that Minhyun would spend his first heat with him, but I decided to discard the onghwang plot all together due to some circumstances. So for now, it is an actual side-pairing, instead. I'm really sorry about that!!!  
> I rather like the new plot I built though... and hopefully, you will too...! :D

"Don't be ridiculous, Seongwoo. You're a big boy. Remember to smile. Even though you know these people are below us. If we show weakness, they're going to use it."

This was his first Gala, and his parents had been preparing for it for months. From his mother's red, tight dress, to his father's heavy robes, everything had to be coordinated, up until the color of the buttons on Seongwoo's jacket. This was such a big deal, that Seongwoo couldn't even eat at school today, out of nervousness. 

The alphas at the Gala, would be different than the ones at school - these would be powerful alphas, from other regions, whose social status went beyond general wealth. People he didn't meet yet. The whole purpose was a show of power - Seongwoo didn't really know how to do that; his father always said that power comes naturally to alphas, but up until now he never really needed it. At school, he is loved and adored. Everybody always fight over the right to sit next to him, and everybody always want him on their team, they want to help him with homework, and play with him. His parents were worried that he’d be ostracized due to his high status, but it’s the exact opposite. He's never alone, and although he has a big mouth, everybody like him.

But this Gala didn’t have a single person Seongwoo would know. The people there, as his nanny put it, had been in power for generations, pulling the strings behind the governments and shifting history. His father’s family had been invited to it for generations, too.

If Seongwoo were to make a fool out of himself there - his parents would be beyond furious. 

All he did is ask to hold her hand.

His nanny would take his hand. 

The elevator looks luxurious to say the least; big and spacious, and they are absolutely alone in it, tardy only just slightly, to make sure they make an entrance.

It was his mom's favorite thing; to wow the entire hall once she walks in. She often talks about how this was the case before she married dad, and now she was just another alpha in the crowd. It was also a political thing. Seongwoo didn't really get it, but the way she put it, it was a status statement. They had no merit in coming there, but they graced these people with their presence.

"Don't smile -- don't you tell him to smile -- You don't have to smile, if you don't want to." His father allows; "All that's needed from you is to be polite, nothing else."

Seongwoo nods.

The elevator dings, and a man invites them inside through big golden doors.

The ceiling is made out of glass -- that's all Seongwoo can look at. You can see all the stars. The hall is dimly lighted, nothing too neon like Seongwoo's used to, and filled with strange vegetation.

As they head inside, a mild chatter breaks through the room. Somebody immediately runs up to his father to pay his thanks for arriving there.

It's not long before his parents are both caught up in conversation, and when he tugs his mother's dress, asking her if he can look around, she just politely excuses him, removing his hand off her dress, as she drinks her blue cocktail, while laughing at something.

Seongwoo heads to the appetizer table, to find a few equally disgruntled kids, each of them on their own, as if they're not allowed to talk to each other. It looks funny.

He wishes Minhyun can be here, instead. Or his friends from class. At least then, he'd have somebody to talk to, these people are completely new, most of them are older, too.

He comes up to the one that looks his age; "Want to play hide and seek?"

The boy's attention  "We're not allowed."

"We don't have to tell the adults." Seongwoo shrugs. "It's boring. And look at all those plants! It's like a forest in here!" Seongwoo points excitedly. "So many hiding places."

The boy smiles. "Well -- okay."

"We should ask the other--"

"No. Let's play just you and me."

"But it'll be more fun if there's others."

He makes a face. Seongwoo comes up to another kid, carefully evading the ones who're slightly older, when he asks the third one, he nods, but tugs the sleeve of the man standing beside him; "Can I play, dad?" He asks.

The man is big and burly, and his eyes narrow down on Seongwoo. "Play? This is a Gala, not a playground. Clearly your parents didn't educate you to behave yourself - you too, Hoseok. Don't associate yourself with--"

"My parents educated me just fine," Seongwoo cuts him off, feeling slightly challenged; "Sir." He adds, after a pause.

The man looks like he's about to beat the crap out of him, but instead, to his surprise, he snorts; "You're quite an insolent thing, aren't you? Haven't your parents taught you that you should never interrupt an adult talking?"

"My parents taught me a lot of things." Seongwoo continues, knowing he's already going to get scolded by his parents. It's always been quite impossible for him to stop running his mouth, even when fighting with his parents. "Among them that socializing is important. Adults socialize while talking and drinking alcohol. Children socialize in play. So let us play.”

The man looks amused with him. He pushes his son toward Seongwoo: "Very well." He says. "Go on, then."

Seongwoo doesn't even turn fully in, when he hears him saying; "Whose kid is that? I like him."

Only much later, when they’ve already reached home, he apologizes to his parents before they have the chance to start yelling. The entire ride was tense and quiet.

They both exchange looks. His mom leans down to him; “Oh, honey. You didn’t do anything wrong — I don’t know what you did, exactly, and I’m not going to ask… but Mr. Lee, that wretched man, has… for some reason taken a liking to you, which puts us in a good position with him.”

“It is quite profitable.” His father waves his hand dismissively as he gets out of the car. “I believe he would want to wed you with his son.”

“Oh god, no.” His mother follows him; “Their entire family is an insult and a disgrace. Don't you forget what his father done to mine during the--" 

“Please, Charin, this alliance would change the rules of the game. You can’t be selfish.”

“We have already decided on a proper mate. Minhyun would be under our care, and he can be controlled and molded — they live in a different district, and…” Seongwoo mutes them out.

He’s just glad he’s not getting scolded.

His nanny is waiting for him right at the entrance, head bent along with the other servants, and his parents don’t even greet her as they pass by, the way they don’t do the others. Sometimes Seongwoo wonders if they can’t see them, as if they’re just furniture. Seongwoo runs up to hug her legs.

“How was it?” She whispers running a hand through his hair.

“It was okay.” He grins. “I met a lot of nice new friends.”

“Did some fight broke? I heard it happens a lot in such events.”

“Nope. We played hide and seek. And then that game with the squirrels on the screens? And _everybody_ wanted to be in my team, because I’m so good at it!”

She laughs; “You’re god awful in it. They just wanted to be in your team because they liked you.”

.

 

Seongwoo is just naturally good at everything, and everything works exactly the way he wants.

Even when he’s bad at something, or if something doesn’t work out, the environment always makes sure he wouldn’t feel bad about it.

He’s well-read, eloquent, and friendly. Polite when he needs to be polite, but he can let his mouth get the best of him - and even when he does, it works for his favor. In a way, he is the poster child to how children should be.

He’s a good looking kid, too; blessed with his mother’s grace and petite figure, and his father’s cheekbones and jaw.

He’s an all-rounder. Perfect, to the eyes of the media and his peers.

By twelve, he is called the prodigy of his generation. There’s a few reporters, with cameras, that stand right outside school, as close as they can possibly can to the car his father sends after him after classes are over. They need to get the best shots, the best angles to go with how much he scored on his latest math test, which for some reason, everybody are highly tuned in on.

He is constantly invited to events, and his mother fusses over new suits and new brand clothes for every occasion, while his father rehearses their agendas and what he should say or do. That’s the only time he ever spends with them, aside from car drives. His schedule is a bit hectic, and so is theirs.

Nanny says it’s normal for public-popular alpha children. She’s the one to come with him to every schedule, standing there, cheering for him, or mouthing the script, if he looks at her.

Seongwoo is furious when she’s not allowed to be in his thirteenth birthday party. The people on TV call it ‘The biggest event of the year’. And it is big. It’s indeed very luxurious - his parents were preparing for it for a year. Bubble machines, and light shows, and laser gun fights halls. There’s a chocolate fountain from the ceiling. His cake is bigger than him. Everybody want to take a picture with him. Shake his hand. Congratulate him on being one year closer to adulthood. There’s so many people there — so many children and adults, Seongwoo doesn’t even know by name. He only knows most of them from TV, when they drill the alpha news.

He feels lightheaded the entire time. And then his tummy also feels weird, and knotted, like maybe he ate something wrong.

Minhyun is the only one that notices, and the first time he asks, Seongwoo says it’s nothing, but the second time, he catches him by the hand, because he’s wobbly, and Seongwoo confesses that he had a big fight with his parents, right before the event, and now he’s not feeling good.

It’s not until he wakes up in the middle of the night, that he understands it’s not his parents and their toxic influence on everything — he’s sick.

He feels hot all over, like he’s burning from inside. And so queasy - but not nauseous at all. It’s an odd sort of feeling… at the pit of his belly. It makes him want to burrow further into his sheets.

When his nanny finally comes into the room, she stops on her tracks.

He calls out to her, reaching his hands, wanting desperately to be comforted, but she stays there, for another long moment, before closing the door.

“Oh, baby.” She says, collecting him in her hands; “My poor, poor child.”

He feels so disoriented and restless.

“I’m sick,” He tells her; “I don’t feel… good.”

But it’s not that he doesn’t feel good — he’s not feeling hurt or in pain, but the fever along with the odd knotted tummy, and the tingling sensation that reaches all the way down his fingertips and toes — all of that, together, just feels overwhelmed and antsy.

“I know, baby. I know.” She continues to stroke his hair, looking worriedly around them.

She bites her lips.

She mumbles a few things, goes out of the room, and then returns. “The others servants are starting to wake up.” She opens the closet, then opens the window. “We have to hide you, before anybody finds out.”

“I need a doctor.” He tells her, rubbing his face onto the pillow.

“That is the last thing you need, baby.” She says.

She stands there, staring at him, and puts a hand on her mouth, as if she needs to really think this through. She doesn’t seem to know what to do. Seongwoo doesn’t understand. He just needs medicine. He’ll be fine. Like when he got a really bad headache. And when he broke his hand last year while playing.

“I have to call your mother,” Her voice is shaky, when she finally speaks next, sitting next to him on the bed. “There’s nothing I can do. I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry.” She hugs him really tightly, and Seongwoo hugs her back.

They stay like that for a moment, and he feels relaxed, finally soothed somewhat. She gets up eventually, and gets out of the room, locking it on her way out.

When his parents are finally in the room, they just stand there, and stare at him.

Their eyes are so wide, it’s almost comical.

The first one to speak is his father; “How…?”

His mother turns to the nanny; “Does somebody else know? Did you tell anybody else?”

She shakes her head furiously; “No, madam, no. I came straight to you.”

“Wrap him with blankets.” She instructs, opening the closet doors. All of his garments and bedding are stacked neatly, and she just starts throwing out blanket after blanket onto the floor; “Now, Beta!” She orders, and nanny picks up the discarded blankets.

“Are you able to carry him?”

“Yes—”

“Good. Take him down to the third floor; near my husband’s study room, there is a closed room with no windows. Seunghyun, what’s the passcode, to the chamber— Seunghyun!” His mother shakes his father, and he finally looks away from him.

“The pass code. To your rooms. We have to make sure nobody finds him.”

“It’s 2900087.”

“Did you remember that, beta?”

“Yes.” She nods, helping Seongwoo into more blankets.

“Good. Use our elevator at the end of the hall — not the servant one. Stay with him as long as needed. I will bring food when I see fit. ”

“Yes, madam.”

“And — control yourself.” She says, more quietly.

“Madam, I would never—”

“I didn’t ask if you would or wouldn’t — I ordered you to. Am I clear?”

“Yes.”

 

.

 

The haze passes only after the next two days. At times it’s deeper, and at times light. Seongwoo sleeps through most of it, inside the little blanket nest he burrowed into.

Once he’s feeling better, things start to make more sense -- and along with that, make _less_ sense.

The more he thinks about it, the more he doesn't seem to comprehend what exactly was happening. 

“Is there something wrong with me?”

“Nothing is wrong with you.” She says, sitting beside him on the bed. The room is so small compared to Seongwoo’s room. Almost tiny. There’s no air movement at all.

Seongwoo feels limp and powerless, even though he hadn’t done nothing during the last two days.

“Then… what? Why couldn’t you call a doctor? Is it contagious? Did I infect you?”

“No, honey. It’s not contagious — it’s normal. Natural.” She sighs; "You've been through a heat. Your first one."

 _Heat_? Seongwoo heard that word before. He remembers the giggling faces of his friends, when they talked about it.

“Alphas don’t have heats.” Seongwoo realizes. “Am I a beta, then?”

She doesn’t say anything. But she doesn’t have to.

Seongwoo kinda gets it, but he still wants to hear it.

He remembers the picture book in his father’s library, and the frightened faces plastered all over it. Now, his face can join between theirs.

“I’m an omega.” He finally says, after what seems like forever. "I'm... an _omega_." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FEW TINY FOOTNOTES:
> 
> *** _Screens_ \- that's just how I imagine smartphones in a futuristic settings, they are basically like a tablet-like piece of semi-flexible glass/plastic that is see-through, but can display information like tablet would, and would totally replace smartphones/phones/tablets/other gadgets. I based it on this samsung concept.  I'll be using that from on, so if you see that, make sure to take note that it's a smartphone, or whatever. 
> 
> ***I prefer to think children/adolescent omegas' first few heats are about feeling comforted, as they go through puberty, it begins to be more sexual and about the need to get off. Also their scent are a bit less... overwhelming to the people around them, so betas or alphas are able to tolerate them. But on a biological level, they are immediately able to recognize that the person before them, is a definitive omega. BUT THAT'S JUST MY TAKE ON IT!!!!
> 
>  
> 
> ANYWAY  
> THANK YOU FOR READING uwu  
> Hope you're enjoying this so far! Next chapter we gonna have some Dan the Man! *finger guns*


	3. Prologue: Daniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***This chapter deals with murder/death and minors being involved in crimes such as that, due to the nature of the post-apocalyptic society, extreme poverty, and life on the streets - if any of these issues trigger or hurt you, please, I beg you, don't read further. :) 
> 
> I messed up several things tbh, but that's what happens when you're winging it! So I had to rewrite a few things, with this new storyline.

“What do you think the Ongs would be eating now?”

“Chips!”

“Grapes!”

“They’d be having meat, you guys! Definitely, meat… juicy… big steaks… of meat… with… tons of sauce!”

Most of the room is groans unceremoniously at that.

“What sort of sauce?”

“What sort of sauces are there?”

“There’s mayonnaise, I tasted mayonnaise once! On a bread… tasted like… heaven.”

“Who says meat is eaten with sauces?! I never saw meat with a sauce on TV.”

Daniel rolls over to the other side of the bed.

God, they’re noisy.

He had a hard day, today - and he knows he won't be able to fall asleep... but he would prefer to just lie there in silence.

After identifying his mother’s corpse, he had puked for hours. There wasn't much to identify. He was forced to do it by her jewelry -- her hair color. They didn't even close her eyes. They were wide open, dead and pale blue. 

All he wanted is to sleep it off, but no, they had to talk about food, because all they had for dinner is porridge. _Again_. Because it’s all they ever have.

And this is all the boys in the orphanage ever talk about. _Alphas_.

Alphas do indeed have it so easy.

They sit, in their nice offices on top of their tall towers, wearing expensive suits, going home to their well-staffed, big mansions, eat their abundant dinners, and drive the high roads, where there’s still wind and fresh air. They call the shots. They make the news.

They are Gods.

Daniel just had the misfortune of being born under their sovereign.

Down below their towers, in the polluted smog, live the rest of them, the _betas_ , the common folk, crowded into tiny little rooms like sardines, eternally hungry and poor - and yet, everybody and their mom will tune in to the news, day and night, to see what sort of toilet paper their alpha overlords are using, and what sort of nail colors are in season for their alpha stars.

While betas starve - they prosper.

While they are plagued by famine and poverty - the alphas thrive.

And yet, it’s all they ever talk about, making Daniel realize that they do indeed belong where they are placed; at the bottom - always looking up. 

“I bet they eat things they show on tv, like… like cheese!”

“Cheese? What do you think cheese tastes like?”

“It tastes like hard milk.” Daniel answers, before he can help it. He remembers how it tastes like. It still sits on his tongue, the taste of it. He used to eat it every day.

“How would _you_ know how it tastes like?” One of the orphans, the older one that Daniel had a scuffle with the other day, pipes from his spot on the mattress; “You grew up in the slumps, just like the rest of us. Stop sticking your nose high, or somebody will have to break it.”

Some of his friends encourage him, calling out with ‘yeah’ and ‘that’s right’, and oohing.

“Daniel grew up in the mansion! His mama was an alpha servant!” Jaehwan immediately shots up to his defense from his spot beside Daniel.

Their orphanage couldn’t even allocate them beds. There were around 400 children, and they all needed a place to sleep, so they just spread out dusty long mattresses along the floor, filled with straw or old clothes, and that’s how they slept.  

But that wasn’t always the case — back before, when he was younger, they lived in a mansion. There was always food on the table, then. Always something to do around the house to earn it. The cook would sometimes sneak him sweets, if he’ll finish all his tasks. He had to go to classes during the mornings, and then do chores around the house along with the other servant children. After they were kicked out… Daniel was sure they were just going to die. His mom worked odd jobs to make whatever money she could - but it was never enough. They were renting a tiny room, in the middle of a crowded street. All it had is a toilet and a bed. If they wanted to shower, they had to do it under the Alpha water bridge, where the purified water was leaking.

It felt like his world ended. 

Then his mom found another job, in another Alpha mansion - but Daniel had to be kept a secret. He didn’t quite understood it then, but apparently, an unbonded beta with a child looked bad on the resume. So he stayed in the slumps, his neighbors were payed a good penny for making sure he’s out of troubles. Generally saying, keeping Daniel out of trouble was a hard task, and his neighbors stopped trying. But at least now they had foods to feed him and their own children, so nobody complained.

His mom would come over to see him very rarely. Sometimes once a week — and sometimes longer. She’d pay the bills, chat with the neighbors about him, make sure he’s still going to that beta academy down the street, kiss his forehead and go back to work.

Not much was expected of him; that much he knew — all he had to do is get mild education, like all betas, acquire a profession, and serve the alphas. But Daniel was just never good at getting instructions or following orders. Daniel was bad at rules, unless they’re his own rules.

“Then what the hell is he doing here, so far away from the mansion, then?”

“Oh, that’s right - his mama is dead!” they all burst into laughter, as if it’s the funniest thing ever, but Jaehwan shots up into sitting.

“So is your mama, Alex! Shut up!”

“Well, at least my mom wasn’t a whore like your mom!”

Jaehwan falls back onto the mattress, silent, pressing his lips together.

Daniel puts his hand on his arm, as they continue running their mouths, talking about how Jaehwan’s mom was found with a gaping hole instead of an asshole.

Daniel feels like going into a fight with them, too, because they go too far sometimes, and their moms probably died exactly like Jaehwan’s mom, but instead he tightens his fingers around Jaehwan.

They haven’t been friends for long. Daniel arrived to the orphanage 2 months ago, when his mom failed to return home for a whole month. The neighbors, having gotten used to payments every two weeks, immediately told the authorities, for a monetary prize. For two long months, Daniel hoped she’d come back. That she's fine. Just busy. He still does. He’s still unsure that the rotting, bloated thing they brought before him was his mom. Jaehwan and he met on his second day there, he helped him around, and showed him all the basics, which boys were okay, which boys he needed to avoid. Daniel could tell, that unlike any of his academy friends — his friendship with Jaehwan is going to last a lifetime.

Jaehwan’s eyes are glistening, but he refuses to look at Daniel. 

Once the food talk finally stops for the night, the room is filled with nothing but soft snores and silent shifting on the sheets.

The orphanage isn't very big or well-made. There's probably the same amount as rats as there are people in it. There's no air conditioning, so all the windows have been forced opened, so at least there's a lot of entrance ways - or rather, a lot of exits. Daniel sits up, and kicks the itchy blanket from atop him.

He shakes Jaehwan awake.

“What?” He asks, voice still laced with sleep; “We can’t go out again, somebody will report us, and we’ll get beaten again.”

“Nobody is going to report us.” He says, and lifts the plank underneath his mattress. “We’re not going to come back.”

“Not — not going to come back?” He rubs his eyes, and they almost comically widen, when he realizes what Daniel means. 

Daniel takes out a big black bag out of the floor. The one he came to the orphanage with. Unless he hid it, some of the older boys would've confiscated it long ago. They even forced him to give away his clothes, saying the orphanage will provide clothes when it's time. He had tried to salvage what he could during his stay here. Mostly ratty but clean towels. A brush he nicked off the bathroom. Some soap. A small sack of rice and protein pills. He would’ve preferred they have more things, but this would do for now.

He stuffs all his things into it, including his pillow, and the blanket.

“Wait, we’re leaving? For real? But — but outside—”

“Won’t be any different than inside. We’re always going to be beaten for every inch of our life. And there will always be some bigger fish —” He points to the corner, where the older boys are sleeping. “After us. So we have to become  the bigger fish.”

“But…” Jaehwan looks both nervous and afraid, and so is Daniel — but they have nothing to lose, the both of them, and he _knows_ the streets. He grew up on the streets.

“I’m not forcing you to leave. You can stay. But… nothing good will ever come out of us here. After years of misery, we’ll just be prepped to help our Alpha masters live the best life they could ever have...”

“Will something good come out of us on the street?”

“We’ll live our own life. We’ll serve no one but ourselves.”

Jaehwan gulps, but doesn’t say anything, then shoves his own private belongings into Daniel’s bag, hastily. “We can always come back, if it doesn’t work out.”

“Yeah.” Daniel says, but doesn’t have any intention to. He’d rather starve and steal to get what he wants.

Before they leave, they both stand there at the window for a moment, and look back at the large room, filled with rows of rows of children. Daniel jumps first - but Jaehwan hesitates for few more seconds, before jumping back after him.

 

.

 

Daniel washes his hands off the blood in the leakage under the bridge. It’s damp and humid here, and feels like the large vessel of water above them might burst any second. He moves aside, for an older woman to hold her bucket underneath the water streams, she sips from it hurriedly, before thanking him and moves it back onto the stream.

Not many people know about this place, beside his gang. Daniel makes sure to show it to anybody who needs water. It’s not theirs to take, after all. It belongs to everybody.

Daniel walks back to Jaehwan who snorts when he reaches him; “I still can’t believe you; you can make life and death decisions without blinking an eye, slit somebody’s throat if you need to — but you see a cockroach, and it’s like the end of the world.”

“They’re just all wriggly.” Daniel excuses; “It disgusts me. They always seem moist. And they way they just..." He pretends to have antennas out of his mouth. 

Jaehwan laughs again and slings the large bag back onto his back. “I can’t wait to get back home. We have enough food to last us for weeks.”

“I told you, it’ll work. These bastards wouldn’t even notice they’re short of one truck.”

One of the kids had told them they would always steal some food out of a truck headed to the mansions -- they located it - planned ahead for months. This had to be silent and fast. They could not stay there for very long, and risk a bigger operation with more people - simply because they'd be noticed.

One of the drivers always stopped near the red light beta tower to have some fun before heading back to the high roads. They killed him when he was having a piss. There was also a bodyguard that came along with him - he took more effort... Daniel is still lucky he had all his teeth. Good thing they had the element of surprise. They took what they needed and left the truck there, wide open, for whoever needed food. The other betas that flocked it as they left - they were all accomplices, too. Nobody was going to report it, because they were all to blame for taking food.

“We could’ve taken the entire thing. Drove it right up to the hideout.” Jaehwan says; “Since we killed the driver, anyway —”

“It’s okay. There will be more trucks. And more people are hungry, not just us.”

“You know they wouldn’t have done the same thing for us.”

“I know.”

They walk in silence for long stretch of the road.

Until Daniel stops on his tracks. Jaehwan stops ahead of him and looks back, questioningly.

“What do you think he meant — when he said… he said ‘what does an alpha child do here?’ - why would he say that?”

Jaehwan puts down the bag in his hand. “Daniel…” He takes a long sigh; “When we left the orphanage, our gang was small, made out of nothing but solitary orphans like ourselves - and they all, never dared to question your authority — and now, now there’s around what? 50 people? 60 of us? Some grown adults — all ready to answer to you and do your bidding, they listen to your every word.”

“Then - what are you saying, exactly…?”

“I don’t know… when exactly it happened. Or if it were always there… but you never presented as a beta, did you? I remember the check up the doctor at the orphanage gave you. It said _inconclusive_. Usually inconclusive means you can still be an omega -- but you're... not an omega.”

“So what? He was barely a doctor anyway. That doesn’t mean I’m an alpha.”

“I know you hate them. But you’re not them. You’re you. Being an alpha doesn’t change what you are. Okay?” Jaehwan reaches out to hug him, and Daniel hugs him back, even though in the back of his mind, he wants to disagree and make a tantrum.

He squeezes him.

“Okay, that’s enough affection.” Jaehwan taps on his back aggressively. “Let’s not get too mushy, for heaven’s sake, we’re gang members. What if the others will see? Complete and utter disgrace. Our badass reputation will be forever marred.”

Daniel grins and squeezes him even harder instead, until he taps his back even more aggressively, before letting him go.

When the reach the hideout, it’s quiet, and there’s nobody outside, which is rare. It’s an old building that used to be a warehouse of some sort. They bought it with some money they earned, and since then, it had become a home not only to them, but to their extended family. The entrance was usually well guarded too, but perhaps it’s just time for shift change? It’s late. There’s a note of the fence.

Jaehwan snatches it out of the wall, while Daniel ; “UNSAFE ZONE; MARKED ABANDONED BUILDING FOR DEMOLITION. This area will be soon used for development by the Ong Group…? Can they just do that? But we own the rights.”

Daniel stares at the trail of blood leading up to the curtain of the entrance. He braces himself for a moment before opening it.

“They can when it’s abandoned.” He closes the curtain.

“But it’s not abandoned, there’s—” Jaehwan runs up to him, but Daniel holds the curtain closed.

“Don’t. Don’t look.”

He’s already shaking; “Let me see. Let me see — what about Woodam? Jung? Taehyun— The guys are—” He wrestles the curtain out of his grip. He doesn’t say anything for a moment, just walks in. The light blinks when the train passes above the hideout, but even without it, you can see the bodies piled up together. Men, women, children. They didn’t spare anybody.

Daniel turns away, when he screams.

  


.

 

After that, they live under on the streets in the city center. Close to the towers, more jobs. Jaehwan has frequent nightmares, and it becomes harder to get food without a band of people who all work for each other. Daniel has plans, _vague_ plans, but none of them really goes into action, simply because there’s no getting in or out of the Ong Towers — there’s not even any way to come close it, even if they try the sewers.

There is absolutely _nothing_ he can do in his position — and there is absolutely no way for him to revenge his friends, because he is nothing but a speck of dirt before them. It’s most likely these alphas didn’t even give the order to wipe out their hideout — it’s most likely they just needed the land, and it’s their beta workers made sure the land is free to be taken.

It’s the system - rotten to the core.

For him to want to take it all down, it'll take years, power, and influence to reach somewhere. And he owns nothing but a pair of dirty shoes, and one dagger. 

But such things as revenege become very muddy while living in the streets, they're replaced by surviving the day, the week, the month. They look for money and food everywhere. Sometimes do questionable just to get some moldy bread. 

They’ve finished a job, got paid with sandwiches with some cheese in it.

This was it.

A feast. 

This is the best food they are going to eat in the weeks to come, so they save it up until they sneak into a rooftop on the Plaza. Jaehwan calls it "Food with a view." 

There’s big holograms and fluorescent ads everywhere, begging for their attention, huge monitors each showing a different channel for the people to watch, million of people rushing somewhere down the street. Everything is alive, and working, despite the late hour. The cars above their hands are honking left and right, a train passes in the speed of light right next to an alpha tower, and Daniel can see the houses below it, shabby shades made out of old metal, shaking with it - and Jaehwan says; “Hey, that dude looks just like you.” while chewing.

Daniel looks up to the glowing screen.

A man is sitting there talking, and the news headline below it says; ‘With no heir in sight, Kang Industries closes another factory…” There’s more to it, but Daniel focuses on his face.

Although much older now, he remembers this man.

This man is an alpha — an alpha Daniel remembers personally. He remembers bringing him water. And he remembers this man asking him if he studies well at classes. He remembers. He’s not smiling in the footage shown on screen - but he remembers spying from a crack in an open door, seeing this man laughing at something Daniel’s mom said.

Jaehwan stops chewing and looking between the screen and Daniel; “He— really looks… like you…”

He does look like him. Pointy chin, dirty blond hair, and pale complexion. Even the broad shoulders. He’s not an exact copy, but there’s also something about the posture, and the way he speaks.

“That’s because that man is probably my father.” Daniel continues chewing on his own food.

Jaehwan gapes.

A piece of food falls out of his mouth, but he catches it and shoves it back in.

“Let’s eat and go to sleep.”

“Wait— Don’t you want to talk about it?”

“Not really - but I got a feeling this is the last day we’ll be sleeping on the street.”

"Wait -- what?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **in the first part, at the orphanage, Daniel is around 11/12ish -- on the second part he's 14ish, in case you were wondering.  
> The next part is going to be the last part of the prologue, told from Daniel's pov again - and it will be about their first... very eventful meeting. :) Hope you'll still tuned in to it, in a few hours! (yes, today it's a double update!)


	4. Prologue: Daniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If you are triggered by such issues such as graphic description of murder - please stop reading right now. This chapter also includes sexual assault/attempted rape on a minor - it's not graphic, just mentioned, along with it there are some other issues that one might find triggering, so please, do check the tags and if such issues trigger you don't read the following chapter.

Daniel hates school.

He hates that he has to attend it without Jaehwan.

Jaehwan gets to attend a good beta school, and unlike him, whose mom had always insisted he gets at least some sort of education, Jaehwan had never been in school, and is fascinated and excited for every day anew. 

It was in his contract with his father - he behaves, and Jaehwan gets to live with them in the mansion, and get all the perks a beta can get  — to a _certain_ degree, since after all, he’s a beta.

And every time, Daniel does some shit, Jaehwan is the one who gets the hit.

It served him the first lesson in this new brand world; never show your weakness, because it will be used against you. Constantly.

His classmates would try to scrape off whatever they can on him, from calling bastard, to saying his father is a nobody to trying to gang up on him. Thing is… for Daniel all of that were nothing compared to what he’d seen on the street. Childish petty games of power; Who's the most powerful? Who's the most resourceful? Who's the strongest alpha of them all?

It almost felt like they were constantly standing next to mirror, begging them it to tell them that 'they are', like in the story.

Putting him to his place, became like a game they all played together, because he was on the bottom of the food chain in class — until he wasn't. Broke some kid’s fingers when he tried to ruffle Daniel’s hair, in an attempt to mock him. His father was livid, was threatening to throw him and Jaehwan out.

The news were running this story for hours, how the Kangs’ bastard child broke another Alpha’s fingers. It was like a scandal. Reporters were waiting for him every time he was out of the house to ask him to say anything, and the concerned parents of the kid would do interviews on tv, talking about the magnitude of taking in a child off the street - alpha or not.

Except Daniel wasn’t like them, and thankfully, he was a quick learner, eager to fit in their game. And he didn’t have much to lose. So after the long weekend, right on Monday, he ordered his driver to swerve from the usual route to Jaehwan’s beta school, to the kid’s mansion, and then in front of tens of cameras, right at the doorstep, he had apologized before him and his parents, forcing them to accept it. And using a dramatic flare, courtesy of Jaehwan’s hard work, while facing the cameras, he had explained that on the street, there’s a silent code of ‘an eye for an eye’ - and since there was a disagreement, he had expected a fight to break off, and for the kid to throw a punch back, but instead he doubled down in pain and didn’t get up.

His parents were red with anger, standing there at the door. One of his mothers had dug her long red fingernails into her son’s shoulders out of rage, causing him to yelp and shake her hands off. And finally, when he offered that the kid would break his fingers, in apology, they, of course, had to refuse. It was on the news for a far greater time than the fact that he broke the kid’s fingers, for over a month. There were interviews and special articles about the street code, and about power games at schools.

That was Daniel’s second lesson, unless he had done this in private, without any witnesses - it would become headlines before the sun would go down for the evening.

At least his father had calmed down. He wasn’t happy about what had happened, but he had let it go. So Daniel tried to keep a low profile, since then.

But this whole ordeal had made his classmates wary or scared of him, so unless forced, any interaction with him was lowered to the minimum. He didn’t play the game correctly, like the rest of them. He gets it.

There were others who were spectacular at the game, so Jaehwan said to observe them, and _observe them_ Daniel did.

But the more he looks, the more he notices — some are almost too good at it, as if they’re natural, and some are — some are _breathtaking_ to look at.

There was this guy — maybe a year older. And he was… _different_ than the rest of them.

There was just something about him. Something unique.

Daniel could tell right away.

Whenever he’d pass by the hall, everybody would quieten, so they could look at him properly. And at his locker, there’d be a crowd waiting, so they could be the first ones to ask to carry his books. Usually the older alphas in the cafeteria would constantly start fights over who gets to sit next to him, even when he wants to sit with his own friends. They’d insist on giving him expensive gifts, tying his shoelaces, doing his homework - just about anything and everything to get on his good side.

They’d do the dumbest things to get his attention. Jesting around or crowing over some new tech, or strutting like peacocks about the room in ridiculous outfits.

Daniel wanted to do it a few times, too. He felt his inside almost squirming at the urge. But he’d always decide against it. He’d be no different than the rest, if he would.

Daniel would ask somebody about him, but he had nobody to ask — so the only thing he’d know, is that he’s from an influential family, and his name is Seongwoo.

Seongwoo would style his hair the same way, every day. Seongwoo was good at everything he did. And on the rare occasion he’d smile… it’ll feel like Daniel is standing right at the edge of a cliff, and somebody just gave him a push. It’d be more terrifying than anything.

But Seongwoo didn’t smile a lot.

He’d always keep his expression ranging from uncomfortable to blank. Even when they’ll step out of the line, touch him, or pull at him -he’d calmly remove their hands, or step away from their touch. But while others went berserk over it around him, Daniel noticed how his chest was rising and falling with haste, and the shaking hands.

He was petrified of whatever was going around him, but he kept it well hidden, behind polite nods, and a cool exterior.

Daniel had a wild guess as to why.

 

.

 

This has become a slight obsession for awhile.

It’s not like Daniel had much to do at school; his classes bore him, and his dimwitted, spoiled peers weren’t all that interesting to watch.

Seongwoo was.

At first for the ‘he is — he’s not’; waiting for his facade to slip, for him to make a mistake that might expose him, and then just _because_.

There was no real reason for it, really.

Sometimes he’d just follow him with his gaze, but sometimes he’d actually follow him around. Usually, he’d ditch his last class, just to see him go to the car. All those reporters waiting for him to make a grand exit through the doors of school.

One time he took a few pictures of him, not a lot - but Jaehwan immediately found them,  nosy little shit he is.

“That is not what I wanted when I told you to watch people, Daniel.” He’s pretty unimpressed. “Is this the same guy you’re always mentioning?”

“No,” Daniel snatches his screen out of his hands; “Well, yes.”

Jaehwan starts making kissy faces at him and attempts to hug him, so Daniel shoves him away.

“I have to give it to you, though.” He says after laughing, and Daniel is sure he’s going to at least compliment Daniel’s taste, or Seongwoo’s good looks, but he’s wrong; “The way you handled yourself with the screen all these months, I thought for sure you’re hopeless with tech - but look and behold. When the opportunity to be a creepy stalker raised, you answered the call!”

Daniel shoves him again, when he laughs.

In reality, it isn’t that bad.

He’s not creepy.

He knows the pictures may have been a bit excessive, but Seongwoo was almost smiling in them, and he wanted to take a picture of him smiling. It’s such a dumb thing to be excited about at 15 - but here he is.

 

.

 

Daniel knows there’s something wrong, before he even reaches the classroom.

The hallway smells - distinctively - of a frightened Omega.

Daniel remembers the Omega in his gang — the beta he was bonded to, and their twin children. He dreams of them, sometimes. They call out to him from a pool of blood that used to be their home, ask him why he didn’t save them. The dream is always laced with the sense memory; the scent of the omega whenever he’d be scared or feel lost.

It’s almost like a sweet scent; a biological attempt to protect himself by pacifying the people around him.

Daniel opens the door to the classroom, and clenches his fists hard.

It’s not like he wasn’t expecting it — but it angers him even more, that there’s a teacher on top of Seongwoo, and not a student. Probably somebody he trusted, since he had been so careful, almost too careful about staying alone with other alpha students.

The young adult beta looks up almost in a daze, as if he didn’t expect to get caught. Daniel punches him right in the middle of his face. He topples down on some chairs.

He’s big and burly. Much bigger than Daniel is. It’s been awhile since Daniel had been in a fight, but he takes the upper hand after the first few blows. Guys like him, Daniel learned, tire faster.

It’s over once he hits the ground. Daniel picks up a handful of his hair and bashes his head on the nearest table, before he can get up. 

When he’s still able to murmur a “you piece of shit”, he does it again, this time harder.

The blood splutters on the table, and Daniel’s uniform.

He lets him go, and he hits a chair on his way down, groaning in pain, but not moving.

Daniel sniffs, when he feels his nose.

When he wipes his face, he realizes he’s bleeding. His nose doesn’t seem to be broken, thankfully. His eye also feels swollen. He sniffs again.

The blood feels like a runny nose.

“Thank you.” Seongwoo says, and Daniel turns to him. He’s still atop the table, his white uniform shirt torn opened. His cheeks red and streaked with tears. He wipes his face hurriedly, and pulls on the sweater, as if ashamed.

Daniel kicks the beta on the floor, just to hear him groan in pain again, before looking back at Seongwoo.

“Do you want me to kill him?”

Seongwoo opens his mouth to answer, hesitates, and then says; “No — the authorities should have him.”

He’s shit at consoling people, he never really learned how to properly do that, since he never had somebody to teach him - he also doesn’t want to engage in some bullshit weather talk right now, or go round and round; “You’re an omega, aren’t you?”

Seongwoo freezes, eyes wide and breath cut short.

When he moves, he immediately looks down, eyebrows furrowed; “No.” He says, and it’s a clear lie; “Of course not - I’m…”

“I won’t tell.”

His shoulders slump, but he doesn’t look up at him.

Daniel overpasses the teacher, and lifts his head up by the hair again. “What do you want to do with him?”

“I told you — we should call somebody. The Law department. And… then… then - they’ll deal with him. The adults.”

“When he’ll wake up, he’ll talk. How nice you smelled. And how he couldn’t control himself. How it was just an urge. Then all eyes will turn to you. They’ll ask questions. Once they’ll find out you’re an omega, he’ll be released from custody. Circumstances involving an omega. You’ll go to the omega facility. You’ll take the blame.”

Seongwoo swallows hard, and more tears come out of his eyes. He wipes them with sleeve again; “How do you know that?”

“I grew up in the slumps. It happens — _more_ than you think.”

Seongwoo takes a look at the man’s face, and shudders, releasing a shaky breath before more tears come out. Daniel guesses he doesn’t look all that attractive anymore, with his nose bashed into his skull, and blood everywhere.

He makes the decision for him.

He presses a leg to the man's chest and moves his head to the side with one quick move.

Once it clicks, Seongwoo turns away fully, his heavy breathe the only thing audible in the classroom, beside the sound of students piling out of classes. Daniel locks the doors, just in case somebody decides to come in. His hands leave bloody hand prints. He wipes the surface with his shirt.

“We could hide the body, but it will be a mess.” He continues; “He’s going to bleed for hours, the wounds are pretty big. I say we walk out, burn the clothes, and say it wasn’t us. My father probably has a great lawyer. ”

“It’s that easy for you, huh?”

“Not my first time.” He admits, standing on his toes to make sure nothing can be seen from the outside into the class, before turning back to him.

“Oh _god_.” He wipes his face with his sleeve again, before casting him a long look.

Daniel doesn’t know what to do.

This is not how he wanted them to meet or know each other. But this is the way it is.

“Are you hurt?”

He shakes his head before he answers a short; “No. I’m fine.”

“Do you… uh… want my jacket?”

“I’m not cold.” He walks up to his bag and starts shoving in the scattered papers and books inside; “I’m not cold. Or hurt. Or— I’m just fine! Fuck!” He throws one of his books inside the back aggressively, before taking another long shaky inhale, and rubbing his face.

Daniel stays there, rooted in his spot, not sure what to do.

Seongwoo take a moment, before straightening his back, his face slipping back into the same expression he’d always wear, as if he gained back his composure.

Daniel would rather him pull a tantrum, hit some desks, yell things. Somehow, this feels worse.

“How do I know _you_ won’t talk once we’ll leave this classroom? What guarantee I have? You just murdered somebody. How do I know you won’t blame all of this on me? I don’t even know you.”

Seongwoo knows to play the Alpha Game, better than Daniel, better than anybody else - and he’s not even an alpha. He was born and raised with the rules, with the hidden agendas and the passive hostility. This complicated chess game was spoon fed to him since infancy.

Daniel was a new player, and still had much to learn — but from what he knew so far; everything action, no matter how small, has consequences - and nothing is free. So for his silence, he should ask for something back.  

He sniffs again when he feels warm blood trickling down his lip from his nose and wipes it.

He knows what he wants, perhaps vaguely, and out of some childish impulse.

“I’ll keep your secret, but in exchange — you’ll be my mate, and bear my babies.” He offers his hand. Seongwoo stares at it, and then turns his gaze back to his face. “Not right now,” Daniel adds, hurriedly. “In the future. When we’re old. Well, not old - old enough. For babies.” Oh god, he butchered it.

Seongwoo takes his hand, though.

It’s then when Daniel realizes he might have hesitated because it’s bloodied.

His grip is strong - Daniel almost feels like he squeezes his hand, so he squeezes back.

It’s silent for a moment.

“Come on - the students left. We have to reach the bathroom to clean you up.” He lets go of his hand, and walks up to the door, then opens it carefully, and sticks his face out, checking both sides of the hallway.

He helps him wipe the blood splatters with a handful of wet tissues. Daniel buttons up his jacket up to the neck. There’s still some blood on it, but it’s red on black, so it could be anything. When he sees Seongwoo staring at it, he says; “I spilled some soy sauce on myself, clumsy me.”

Seongwoo looks uncomfortable but nods and throws the tissues down the toilet, before flushing several times.

“Is that… really okay with you? To mate with an omega?”

“Yes.” Daniel says before even thinking about a proper answer.

“What if others find out - or… your reputation and your family name would suffer - and there’s no guarantee our children will be alphas —”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about any of that. I didn’t even have a family name until half a year ago.”

Seongwoo looks up to meet his eyes. “My parents won’t be happy about it — but there’s not much they’re happy about these days.”

“Do they know…?”

“Yes.” He washes his face in the sink again, and his hands, using his fingernails, and leaving red marks, like he wants to claw off his hands. “Nobody else can know. Okay? Nobody else. Just them, you and me. Is that clear?”

Daniel nods, and then puts his hand on Seongwoo’s under the water stream, so he’ll stop trying to scrub off his skin. “I know you can’t really trust me — but… you’ll have my word, if you keep yours.”

Seongwoo swallows again, then checks his clock and sighs; “I have to go - my driver is waiting for me, by now.”

“I’ll take you to your car.”

“That’s really not —”

“Well, we’re mates now.” Daniel insists. “And I want to.”

Seongwoo makes a face, but doesn’t say anything, just checks to see if the hallway is opened.

“That doesn’t mean — I’m not sleeping with you. You’re like ten—”

“I’m 15!”

“You’re very short.”

“I’m still growing!”

He snorts at that, and Daniel bites the inside of his cheek.

The rest of the walk is silent. Daniel leads the way.

Before walking outside, Seongwoo stops and says; “You can’t do that anymore, though. It’s weird.”

“Do what?”

“Follow me around. I’m not dumb. You even know which side of school my car stands.”

Daniel scratches his head. “I won’t. Sorry.”

The driver scurries to open the door for Seongwoo, who nods at him before heading in — then turns about; “What if - what if you end up meeting somebody you like better than me?”

“You’ll just have to worry about what will happen if I don’t.”

That doesn’t seem to assure him, but he nods, and goes into the car.

It’s only after the car drives away, and Daniel sees the license plate, Daniel gets it.

All Alpha cars have the family name first, and then the numbers, marking it the property of the family.

Seongwoo’s car license plate is marked ‘Ong’.

He doesn’t have enough time to digest it anyway, because by the time Jaehwan finally helps him figure out his screen again after dinner - Ong Seongwoo, the sole heir to the Ong Group, is dead.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so.  
> We're done with the prologues...! That's nice.  
> Sorry if this chapter was a bit heavy -- but it serves as the prep ground for the rest of the fic. :) Hope you'll still tune in for the rest of it.


	5. Seongwoo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Chapter contains murder.

Seongwoo starts his morning with a short run on the facility grounds, when the sun hadn’t come out of the polluted smog of the city.

They keep the premises well groomed, so there’s some grass and trees. Patches of pink flowers in clean rows. Nice looking verandas and pavilions scattered around.

A pond with some fish.

It’s obviously this is the best facility in the district; the most secure one too - located too far away from the city, too close to the wastelands, for anybody to try and make a run for it. If lucky enough to avoid marauders, one must also fight off elements, and the toxic environment. It’d take months — _years_ of planning.

But Seongwoo didn’t want to escape, unless he had to. 

There was nothing for him outside these walls.

And yet, every morning, after giving up at the fourth lap, he just sits atop one of the balconies, and watches the sun rise over the city that used to be his home.

The city that also became his last resting place.

He’d watch it sometimes - his funeral.

Closed white coffin. White lilies and coral carnations - Seongwoo found it quite distasteful, even for his mom. It irks him that she couldn’t put one last effort into him, and probably left the job for somebody else. That was the way she treated him during his last year alive; like he was a filth smudge that got stuck on her shoe. 

What a sad ending to a sad life.

He doesn’t regret it. It’s better off like that.

Nobody in here is going to slam him onto the table and force his way with him, for starters.

His past few years as Ong Seongwoo were spent in constant fear; he was always afraid somebody around him might snap, or find out — or worse…

And when the worse happened, for some reason, he was sure his parents would still be on his side; instead they saw this an opportunity.

An opportunity to get to get rid of him.

They dumped him into the most pristine, secure omega facility, under a false name, without any ability to contact anybody in the outside world, confined to his quarters for long months.

It’s temporary, they said. Just until this scandal will quiet down.

Temporary has been 11 long years.

At first, he wasn’t allowed to go out of his room, or touch a screen. He was furious. Swore and threw tantrums and ruined the furniture and spit on the headmaster’s face.

But then he calmed down. He realized that if he doesn’t play by their rules, he’ll just stay restrained. In jail for the rest of his life. And honestly, it wasn't that bad. As long as they weren’t leaving the facility, they were well looked after. They got food around the clock, they could do whatever they wanted, had plenty of recreational activities, and they also got points for working, with which they could buy things for their rooms, or new clothes.

Sometimes he'd look at the other omega facilities usually shown on tv, and he'd think - hey, he has it best. 

All he had to do is to stay quiet.

And let it go.

But he never forgot. He couldn’t.

Whenever he watches the city from afar, still standing before him, thriving and pulsating, the blood in his veins boils. He wants to burn it to the ground, along with the entire Alpha race. The earphones in his hand are still playing music and it abruptly stops, followed by a crack. He looks down, he must have unintentionally tightened his fist. There’s some blood from the plastic going into his skin.

“Minjun!” Seongwoo looks up sharply, his ears ringing; “Did you already have breakfast?” Seongwoo looks down. Baekhyun is up early for once.

“Not yet!” He calls back down, wiping his hand on his pants. They’re black. Nobody will notice.

“Come down, then. We’ll go together!”

He throws his earphones into the trash once he’s down, and Baekhyun sighs; “Again?” but doesn’t probe. There’s nothing Seongwoo can tell him, anyway.

All the omegas in this facility are from well off families, bastards to Alphas, or children of Omegas from the red light district, from the forbidden clubs. Omegas that should be kept under a tight lock, so nobody will ever know who they are.

Despite that, they’re all thirsting to get out of here, unaware of what’s waiting for them outside the dome of the facility. That’s why Seongwoo hates having breakfast early.

They’re all swooning and cooing at the alphas on the screens as they’re showing the morning news in the cafeteria.

Sometimes they’d even show Minhyun up there, and they’d all piss their pants simultaneously. He grew up well.

His parents had allowed his heir to bear the Ong name; and it was a big honor and a big deal. When it happened, years ago, all they’d run is clips of Minhyun on tv — Seongwoo wasn’t even mentioned by name. Not even once. They didn’t even show his picture. Just “after the former heir’s death”. So far, he had no heir, and he didn’t get married. He was the heir in Seongwoo’s stead, despite no bearing the name. It was the only right thing his parents had ever done.

Nobody else was worthy, anyway. Minhyun was groomed for it; he was better at it, even while Seongwoo was still alive - he already knew what to do and how to act. And he was… after all, technically _family_.

For Seongwoo, it truly was the only family he ever had… he was the only one that attended his funeral, and the only one that cried. That was enough for him.

To know that at least somebody — even if it’s one person — actually cared.

Seongwoo tried to contact him so many times along the years, but it never came through. Their coms are blocked to outside communication, and the only Alphas or Betas they’re allowed to come in contact with, are the ones they’re working with, or when given special permission to interact - but it has to come from the other party, not the omega.

“I heard that region 43 has a spectacular new city - all of Minhyun's handwork - imagine buying a piece of wasteland, and making it into a self sufficient city in under 10 years. He’s definitely the top bachelor in this part of the globe, right now.”

Seongwoo feels his eyes trying to roll back into their head; these omegas have no idea what they’re talking about.

“Daniel is still the only one in my heart!”

“What are you saying? He’s married, now.”

“But without a heir - I’d give him the best heir he could possibly want!”

“A baby?” Baekhyun shots up; “Don’t kid yourself, Hun - Nobody wants your omega children. You’ll be better off gurgling some beta’s sperm in the red light district.”

The table goes into a holler, and the omega in front of him jumps up to mock fight with Baekhyun, making everybody laugh some more. Seongwoo gets up, disinterested. He hates Alpha talk.

Baekhyun looks up after him, his head caught inside somebody’s elbow-grip.

“Minjun - dude—” He runs up to him, after the person releases him; “What’s up? I thought we can hang out today?”

Baekhyun was new in the facility, which is odd. Well, as new as you can be in an omega facility. Most of them grew up together, and will grow old together. Baekhyun, though - he’s only been here for a year. He got some Alpha to sponsor, from what Seongwoo heard. That’s why he was moved into a better facility. They don’t talk about these things, because they all have something to hide. The others find him quite crude, because of that. They’re so used to the peace and quiet and the fake politeness.

It’s hard for Seongwoo to trust anybody around him, because he was brought up with Alphas. He doesn’t seem like a bad or a mean person, but he’s been trying to huddle up to him for awhile now, and Seongwoo can’t help being paranoid, even though, technically, he actually likes him.

“I’m meeting with Sohye — and then I have to work — but you can come with. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

He makes a face; “You still work at that place?”

“Yes.” Seongwoo snorts; “Been working there for over three years now.”

“Doesn’t it creep you out though? All the murders and violence and shit?”

“But I get to help people, if there’s something wrong. That makes me feel a bit more fulfilled than just any other call center. Also… err - I guess I like the fast paced environment.”

“Fast paced — all you do is answer calls. That’s all omegas ever do.” He sounds quite bitter about that. “Ever since I stopped working, I’m a new man.” He says, wiping his shirt off creases; “Never thought there might be a place where you don’t have to work for your food. But here I am.” He swirls around.

Seongwoo looks around at the facility, himself; “Here you are.” He agrees; “You’re going to get bored of it sooner or later. There’s only so much you can do under the dome, without work. You don’t even get tired.”

“Ah, my friend - that’s where you’re wrong. One can spend the entire day not doing nothing at all and still sleep soundly! Nap, too!"

Seongwoo snorts.

 

.

 

All omega jobs are pretty much the same.

They’re not allowed to leave, and they’re not allowed to interact too much with their clients.  

If it’s a job you can do sitting in a cubicle in a large room - it’s an omega job.

Call centers that required human assistance were the largest market, but you could also be a translator or a transcriptionist. There were odd jobs, too, here and there - like ghost designers that helped actual designers. Editors. Developers.

Seongwoo actually liked his job.

He worked for the Law Enforcement Department Call Center of the city for over 3 year now, and wasn’t planning on leaving anytime soon. Omegas usually stayed off this job, since it meant dealing with harsh situations while they were happening, so Seongwoo knows there’s more betas on the line than Omegas, sitting there in actual Law Enforcement Departments, getting to know the teams they’re sending out to the field. His voice was exceptionally soothing, and he was good in being assertive with people who wouldn’t calm down on the phone. His boss really liked him too, even though they only ever talk on the phone.

That day they were out of caramel for the coffee in the upper workroom, where his cubicle is. He was just overloading a fifth pack of sugar into his cup, in order to get rid of bitterness, when a call came.

“935 speaking, state your emergency.”

“I’d like to report a body. Male Beta. XX street, tower Y. 20th floor, apartment number 431.” The voice sounds completely calm. Not a note of panic or disgust, or any indication that he just found a dead person.

“Sir, can you check to see if he’s showing any vital signs? He might still be alive—”

"Nah, he looks pretty dead to me - with the gunshot hole between his eyes and all? Don’t think you can save him now."

Seongwoo stops what he’s doing just to listen to him breath - not sure why, he might be trying to repress what he saw, or in shock. But his breathing is steady.

“Is this your relative? Neighbor? Did you see what happened?"

"No. I'm just passing by. Saw it from the street."

Seongwoo frowns; “You just said the apartment is on the 20th floor.”

“I’m very tall.” The man says, now sounding impatient; “Are you sending a team, or what?”

"Yeah." Seongwoo clicks on the options he has on the screen, then pauses for a moment, because he's not that dumb; "Are you still going to be there when my team arrives?"

"Probably not. Murder scene and all."

“Did you kill him?”

He’s quiet for a moment, but Seongwoo can hear him breathing. He’s surprised he’s still on the line with him. He expects him to hang up, next, but instead he asks; “You’re an omega, aren’t you?”

It might be the intonation, or maybe just the odd situation — but Seongwoo remembers the alpha kid, with the blood on his face, and it sends chill down his back.

"Yes." he answers; "How did you know?"

"Your voice is very... soothing."

"Aw, thank you, mr. murderer." Seongwoo decides to keep him on line as long as possible, so he won't leave until the law enforcement gets there, since he's all chatty. He actually snorts, in reply. He opens the chatroom with the supervisor and send him a text, explaining what's happening. 

"That's the nicest thing somebody had ever said to me."  Seongwoo continues.

"That's sad. Don't they have happy hours at the omega facility, where everybody compliment each other? Or what is it that omegas do in their free time? Beside finger painting."

"No, yeah, that's exactly what Omegas do in their free time. You really nailed that one."

He snorts again.

Seongwoo watches his screen, as the unit marked as his arrives at the location; "We also make giant bubbles on thursdays. Really big ones. And we're all waiting with our ass in the air for our alpha overlord."

"Oh wow," He comments, and Seongwoo can practically _hear_ him smiling.

"That's why smartass omegas like you are safer in facilities. Who knows what alpha are you going to piss off with that mouth of yours."

"So you are an Alpha." He tries to weasel out more info out of him, since he’s still on the line.

Seongwoo can literally hear his heartbeat ringing in his ears. He might actually help catch some murderer. That’s the most excitement he had… ever.

"Or a really tall beta." He answers.

Seongwoo snorts. He's definitely an alpha. That’s how all Alpha sound like. Arrogant. Confident. He doesn’t even give a shit that he killed somebody.

His team is already in the building. He writes them that suspect is most likely armed.

"I know you're just stalling until your team arrives." He sighs; “We’ll continue this some other time.”

Seongwoo is just about to reply, when he’s met with a dial tone.

There’s no way he’ll be able to slip away unnoticed from a whole team.

Seongwoo anxiously wait for some news, and when nothing comes, he opens the file to see if the officers on the scene reported anything. Body was still fresh and bleeding. Suspect was not found on scene.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, wow, I am *so* stupidly excited. That last bit -- I actually dreamed it, and it's exactly how I dreamed it so I left it the way it is from the twitter thread - but I did want to expand on all the times Daniel called him obsessively coz he was talking back to him and he loved that (and coz he wubs him) (jkjk lol)  
> I actually wrote an additional 3k from over excitement; it's so embarrassing lol, I'm just sitting at work giggling to myself like a toddler... that's how excited I am about this bit -- I'll probably post the next chapter in a day or two, too. 
> 
> Another thing, I feel like I have so much to tell about this world, but I'm not giving you enough information, because I find it boring - so for example, in this chapter I kinda wanted to elaborate on how life is in the omega facility, too. And I'm like biting myself from explaining too much in order not to bore you.  
> But if you guys have any questions at all, feel free to ask me anything, on twitter at @yeolinski, or if you're shy or think your question is dumb (NO QUESTION IS DUMB IN MY EYES!) you can ask it anonymously on [ my curios cat! ](https://curiouscat.me/yeolinski)
> 
> Okay! Hope you liked the update!


	6. Daniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: chapter contains drug use, murder.

“Why are you in a good mood?”

“I’m not.” Daniel clears his throat and continues rummaging through some files Jaehwan put before him.

Their daily schedule is rather long these days.

It’s what Daniel wanted; being on top of things around the city, but it feels… lacking. There’s always new trouble arising from somewhere. His work is never done. He can never lay his eyes on what he truly wants.

It had not been an easy feat, raising the Kang name from the scratch, after his father had utterly destroyed it with his ideals. He really thought all the alphas around him would do the most honourable thing - until the very end. His untimely death was unfair, and Daniel did feel somewhat sorry - but he cannot help but think that the timing was a blessing in disguise.

His father would’ve run them into the ground, and they would’ve left without nothing.

His step-mom would agree with him, there. She’s grown fond of Daniel, because he’s grown useful and brought the Kang name into the top three in the city within less than a couple of years — but if not her, Daniel and his mom wouldn’t be out in the street in first place, and he still didn’t forgive her for that. She was a good adviser, though. So for now, she had payed her worth staying alive.

“Are you that excited about butting heads with some chinese drug lord? You really _are_ bored, aren’t you? I’m sorry that controlling a city is boring to you.”

“I’m not bored.” He changes his position in the chair, looking out of the window; “And I’m not yet in full control. Not while there’s the Government, or the Ongs.”

“Be patient.” Jaehwan says, distracted with his screen. He recently got a new chip implant, that allowed his to surf the screen without even being close to it. Sadly, it made him the opprtunity to be even a bigger smart ass than he already is. “All due time.”

Daniel looks down on the city. It stretches far and wide as the horizon, containing millions of souls, struggling to get through their day. The office in his tower is below the clouds, where he can see the eternal neon lights of the city calling out to the people.

There’s only one omega facility dome in the line of view, and Daniel’s eyes, for the first time ever, focus on it.

“ _Mr. Murderer_.” He repeats out loud, then snorts.

It’s not the first time he called a dispatcher, but it’s the first time he had actually _talked_ with an omega dispatcher — one that actually talked back. He’s met a few omegas in his life; all of them were meek and very placid. Often looking down whenever talking to him, since it was impolite for an omega to look up to an Alpha’s eyes - although he never actually met the dispatcher he talked to, it felt like he not only looked him right in the eyes, but also sucker punched him while he was at it.

When he snaps out of it and turns back to Jaehwan, he looks disturbed; “You okay there, buddy? I noticed you were gone last night.”

“Yeah - I had to deal with some unfinished business.”

“I told you — don’t go out without me or the team. What if something happens to you? If Jisung will know about this, he’ll lose it.”

“I can handle myself. It was just one man. And he answered wrong to all my questions.”

Jaehwan doesn’t look satisfied with that, but let’s it go.

“I can push some of my contacts to find a dealer.” He changes the subject. “There must be a place where they distribute the drugs.”

“The lab will have to be within the city.” Daniel sighs, back to business they go; “This stuff is clearly not imported. There’s too much of it on the streets.” He leans on his chair.

 

.

 

“The drugs you’ve been brewing here are dangerous for consumption. They’ve hurt a lot of people. _Your_ people. Among the symptoms within the first 24 hours are purple rashes, blisters, deteriorating neurological signs — and…” He holds up a picture of a dead female beta, covered in rashes and blisters, her eyes wide open, but utterly unfocused. “Death.”

It causes the Beta workers in the factory they just stormed upon, to burst into worried chatter, as if they weren’t scared enough. The penalty for illegal drug activities is death, as it is, and most of them look ready to beg for their lives.

Jaehwan clears his throat, so they’ll shut up; “Now… our gracious Alpha, Kang Daniel, have decided to spare your life, despite your wrong doings.”

Daniel snorts. He always has to add a dramatic flare to it, instead of just dismissing them to go home.

“You are pardoned, and your actions will not be held against you. Go back to your homes, and if you’re still looking for jobs, apply to Kang Industries. I’m sure we’ll be able to find something for you. Clear the area within the next 10 minutes. Anybody that will stay here after the time is over will be shot on sight.”

The betas scamper toward the exit, rushing to get away before the guns point at them.

They made a quick work of the factory, and his team were piling the bodies together. Most of them were just common people, doing what they are told to scrape some money for their family, but the guards opened fire, before they even came close enough for interaction. They were either tipped off, or were ordered to do that, no matter who came along, beside important faces they knew.

Daniel comes down from the higher level, once the betas all leave, to inspect some of the purple powder they were producing.

“Burn it,” He tells one of the guys. “I don’t want anything left, beside the bodies. Let their families collect them.”

“Yes, sir. Right on it, sir.”

Jaehwan is still on his screen, tapping away; “You’re in the wrong business, bud. Should be writing melodramas for tv.”

“Oh, please. Somebody has to market the business. I made a poll, and apparently 80% of the betas in the city are afraid of applying to Kang Industries. That’s why we’re always low on manpower. Nobody wants to work for your terrorizing, miserable ass.”

“You’re the one whose terrorizing, I’m just sitting in my office all day, calling the shots you and Jisung are telling me to call.”

Jaehwan rolls his eyes, and folds his screen, before holding it to his ear.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling in the bodies - it’s better they come collecting them soon, since you’re going to burn down the place. Yes, hello—”

“Yes… but…” He furrows his eyebrows, then tears it out of his hand and presses it to his own ear.

“Hello?” The voices on the other line isn’t the same as last week. Of course, it’s not. It’d be dumb to think that it is, there’s like a million of workers in call centers. “Sir? I can hear you quite well, is there an emergency?”

Daniel gives it back, begrudgingly. Whatever. 

Jaehwan gives him the type of look he usually gives people on TV when they do something exceptionally stupid, before finally tuning into the call.

He clears his throats and goes back to strolling the warehouse.

 

.

 

Daniel doesn’t always reports the bodies, but he does whenever he feels like the person might have a family or loved ones, or when he thinks it might not be found right away.

A pet peeve he developed since childhood.

Nobody reported his mom for months.

He didn’t want some kid on the street to go over the same thing during the identification.

When the voice that answers is too perky. So he hangs up.

The next voice is too deep.

So he hangs up too.

Then he just decides to see how many times he can call before he’ll get impatient.

29 times, apparently.

When the same voice answers, and Daniel recognizes him instantly.

“935 speaking, state your emergency.”

"Yes, I'd like to report multiple dead bodies."

"Can you tell me your location, sir?"

"The location of the dead bodies is warehouse xx, in neighborhood z. But I'm just passing by and I saw them from a window."

He's quiet for a moment, and then he says; "Is this the same douche from two weeks ago?"

"Yes, it’s Mr. Murderer." He says proudly, smiling that he's still remembered.

"I can't believe you actually like the nickname," He literally sighs on the line, and Daniel tries to stifle down the grin that threatens to come out. "How many bodies are there, this time?" 

"Three." 

"Growing in number, I see. All gunshots?" 

"One was choked — Say, do you ever leave the omega facility?"

He's quiet for a moment; "No. We're not allowed -- Is there a link between the people you killed now and that person back then?" 

"Not really. They just pissed me off." Daniel scratches his head; "So what do you actually do there, if you're not allowed to leave?"

“Do you just call to chat? Are you, like, really lonely and need a friend or something? You can make friends in jail, you know? Equally disturbed people like yourself. You'll have a lot of things to talk about. Just give yourself up."

Daniel isn't even sure why he's so amused. "Is this a bad time to say that I dialed 29 times until I got you? I was wondering what your reaction would be if you got me again on the phone."

"Disappointed, but not surprised. That's my reaction. Was it worth calling 29 times for?"

"Honestly? Yes. Is there a way to ask for you if I get another dispatcher?"

"No. Once this call ends, you're somebody else's problem, bud." 

"And here I thought we had something special."

“You’d like that, won’t you? To feel special.”

“I am special.” Daniel says; “My mama always told me that.”

“I bet she did.”

“Well, now she’s dead.”

“Did you kill her, too?”

“ _No_.” Daniel feigns outrage; “What kind of a monster do you think I am?”

That actually makes the omega on the line snort.

Daniel grins.

“Right. A monster, but not _that_ kind of monster.” He has a sweet sort of chuckle. Light but not annoying. Daniel _likes_ that.

“So what Omega facility do you belong to?”

"Tell me how this sounds; a wee omega getting stalked by an obsessive serial murder."

"That does sound bad -- but my intention are pure, scout's honor. This is just the first time I really had chemistry with a dispatcher."

"Jesus." 

Daniel hears the sirens heading his way; "But now I know you work evening shifts." 

"I'll trade to morning shifts." 

"No you won't."

 

.

 

He doesn’t.

He’s not sure how many times he’s calling, and out of boredom he accidentally gouged out the eye of the assassin that tried to take him out. It happens every Thursdays, because Daniel has more enemies than allies, and frankly, he doesn’t report them, but since he’s on a roll...

“935 speaking—”

“Oh, thank god, the corpse already started rotting. I’ve called like 70 times now.” He leans back on the crates, he’s been sitting next to.

The omega is quiet for a moment; "I appreciate the effort. Pat yourself on the back. Where is the body?”

“Kang Tower Parking lot… level A.”

He’s silent for a moment, and Daniel knows that’s probably a wrong move. Level A is for the important alphas in his tower. A toddler would know that. It narrows down the suspect list drastically. But he doesn’t give a crap. Even if he’ll find out his name, he won’t be able to prove that it’s him - or any Alpha for that matter.

“Did this one pissed you off too?”

“No. Well - kinda. He tried to assassinate me.”

“Quite the eventful life, you’re leading.”

“You have no idea. It’s crazy wild outside the omega domes. You should get out sometime. Maybe I could show you around.”

“What exactly are you going to show me around? Your murder trophy collection? I’ll have to pass.”

Daniel smiles and then looks down; “Can you write that the body was tampered with, but not for torture or trophy collecting… I got bored and started playing with his eye. I think it rolled under a car. I can’t reach that far because I’m lazy.”

“You’re sick.” He says, but despite that, it sounds like he’s really trying to hold himself back from laughing. “You need help.”

“He was trying to kill me. What was I supposed to do? Let him?”

“But not play with his body afterwards? That’s just wrong. ”

“If you answered quickly it wouldn’t have happened.”

“Oh. So… now it’s my fault?”

“I wasn't even going to report it…! The cleaners would’ve dumped it into some incinerating hole. You should pat yourself on the back, you’re making me a better person.”

“Yes, very decent of you. I’m glad I was able to spark a change in your lifestyle.”

“Hey, how about for every nice thing I do—”

“Your definition of ‘nice’ is very odd to me.”

“ — I’ll get cookie points.”

“Cookie points? You want cookie points for reporting a murder _you_ committed?”

“And then for every point I can get… I don’t know… stuff. Like maybe you can tell me your name.”

“Not going to happen.”

“How old are you...?”

“Nope.”

“Something! Give me _something_.” Daniel hears the gates of the level opening for the police, and stands up to head for the elevator.

“I sing in the shower.” He says; “Make a point so it'll be out of tune. Annoy all my neighbors. They filed a report to the management about me twice, the second one was with like - over 25 signatures - so I had to move to another room. I've been coming to shower at my friend's room, who is still on the same floor, just so I could annoy them some more with my singing. Been doing that for over 3 months now." 

Daniel laughs, he hadn't laughed for awhile, so it's a surprise to him too. "That sounds so evil and petty."  He says; "but how can I believe that, when you have such a nice voice?” Daniel’s shoulder’s slump in defeat. “You’re just saying that to stall until the unit comes over.” He presses on his floor number, and it scans his finger, for clearance, but doesn’t get through. He wipes his hand on his jacket, seeing as it’s bloodied, then presses it again.

“Well, you can choose not to believe that. It’s your call.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Life is very rarely fair.”

“Okay, fine, then give me something else.”

“Earn more cookie points, first."

He hangs up.

The elevator dings on the doors open. The alpha woman in charge of the office bows down to him; “Sir.”

Daniel walks out of the elevator staring at his phone. Nobody ever hung up on him before. Not even Jaehwan when he was really really pissed off.

“Sir?” She asks. “Yoon Jisung has been waiting for over an hour, and he’s not pleased.”

“Isn’t it _really_ rude to hang up on an Alpha? Like _exceptionally_ rude?”

She looks shell-shocked, like he asked her something utterly horrifying. Daniel realizes he never actually spoke with her about non-work related things, and clicks his tongue.

"Never mind." He says. 

This Omega quite clearly had more balls in him than his Alpha employee.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't stop myself, I had to post it even though I promised I'll wait.  
> I decided to have divide it into two chapters, because I didn't want you to keep on waiting!  
> :D Hope you liked it so far! Tune in for more of Daniel's deterioration in a few days uwu!


	7. Daniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> accidental 3.5k for you!

They were heading back to the car, when they got attacked. Good thing he was with Jaehwan.

This time Daniel can recognize the tattoos on their hands; chinese. They seem high ranked, too, by the tattoos on their neck.

That chinese Alpha clearly isn’t done with him yet. He must be still bitter about the burned down factory. He's been controlling their streets for too long now, and Daniel was slowly getting sick of him, himself.

It’s late evening, but it’s far too dangerous to be out in the slumps in such an hour on the street, so they must have been waiting. Daniel checks their pockets, just in case. There's not even a screen on them to hack into.

“Let’s go, Daniel, last thing we want is some other showing up— Who are you calling?” Jaehwan furrows his eyebrows.

Daniel is bent down next to the bodies, and he looks up to him and gestures ‘silence’ at him with his finger.

“This is 2445, please state your emergency.” The dispatcher finally answers.

“Yes, hello — this is really urgent, but I have to talk with a specific dispatcher. His number is 935.”

The dispatcher on the line hesitates; “We - don’t really do that…? What is this for?”

“Just pass him the goddamn call, will you? I know you guys can do that. I checked online.”

“Sir, this is a serious —”

“Yeah, and I’m not messing around. I need to talk with _that_ specific dispatcher. Now.”

It might be the Alpha voice that gives him away, but the woman on the line obliges, and transfers the call.

Daniel nods his head to the cheery sounds of the Law Enforcement Department on-hold.

“What are you doing…?” Jaehwan is absolutely outraged; “Are you calling to report this? Why? Somebody will find them in no time —”

“Shush, Jaehwan, this is important.”

“935 speaking, state your emergency.”

“So — I didn’t kill anybody for 5 days. I get five cookie points.”

The omega actually snorts; “That’s now how it works. Abstinence doesn’t give you cookie points. And I’m sure you’re calling because you _did_ kill somebody.”

Right on the nose.

Smart omega.

“Good behavior should earn me cookie points. So it counts.”

Jaehwan is looking at him like there’s horns growing right out of his forehead before his eyes.

Daniel turns away from him.

“Half a cookie point worth at best.”

“One cookie point. Come on, be fair.”

“I don’t have any proof that you didn’t kill for five days, though, so it’s a bit unfair on my side.”

“Nah, you know I wouldn’t give up the opportunity to call you.”

“Point taken,” He hums. “But considering you’re probably a manipulative serial murderer, I can’t really take your word for it, can I?”

“Fine —” he turns to Jaehwan abruptly, who looks like he wants to whack him at the head with something sharp so he could drag him back to the car unconscious, and puts his screen on speaker; “This is my personal assistant — personal assistant, please tell this dispatcher that I didn’t kill anybody for five days.”

Jaehwan stares at his screen. Then stares at him.

The omega doesn’t say anything, either.

Daniel hits him on the arm.

“Ow - what the fuck is wrong with you? We need to get out of here before more goons find us—”

Daniel hits him again, and he hits back, but Daniel raises his eyebrows and gestures toward his screen; “Tell him. About the _not-killing_ thing.”

“Jesus, fine.” He lowers himself to the screen; “He didn’t kill anybody. Well, beside, like, the two men, right now. But he clearly finally went bananas. You’re witnessing a meltdown. Congratulations, whoever-you-are.”

The omega laughs, and Jaehwan looks down on the screen, surprised. He, too, probably thinks the Omega has a nice laugh. Because he does. Daniel likes it.  “If this man is your employee, he’ll say about anything to get on your good side, no?”

“Yeah, I don’t need to get on his good side, I’ve been at his good side for over 15 years, and trust me, it’s ugly in here.” Jaehwan says.

“I bet it is.” The omega laughs again, and something about it really rubs Daniel off wrong — because it’s not _his_ joke he's laughing at, so he furrows his eyebrows accusingly at Jaehwan and turns off the speaker.

“Seriously?” Jaehwan calls out after him, throwing his hands up and letting them fall.

“Circumstantial evidence work in 70% of the cases. One cookie point.” Daniel demands.

“Fine. One cookie point. First tell me the location of the bodies”

“Some alleyway in the slumps.”

Jaehwan calls out the exact address to him, then adds; “I’m going back to the car. You suit yourself.”

Daniel looks after him, when the dispatcher finally talks; “On my birthday this year, I decided to treat myself.”

Daniel perks up; “How so…?”

“Stocked up on some food…” He says; “Closed the blinds…” His voice drops a notch, but the change is so audible, Daniel actually tenses up.

“Made a nest of blankets and pillows…” He continues, voice raising a little, at the end of the sentence.

“And…?” He urges, when the pause is prolonged a millisecond too much for him.

“And,” The sigh he makes is almost sweet - and Daniel imagines it, an omega’s heat. It’d be different than a beta's; unbearingly hot and thick, almost stifling, yet soft. Wet. Welcoming. “And then I marathoned pre-war cartoons for over 72 hours.”

Daniel’s shoulders slump, and he’s about to complain, when somebody shines a light at his back.

“Show me your hands, now!” The cop yells.

He raises his hands up and snorts. He got him good this time.

One of the cops pats his back for any weapons, and forces him to drop his screen, and the other inspects the bodies, before finally saying; “Now turns around, real slowly. No funny business.”

The looks of horror on their faces when they realize who he is is almost unfathomable.

They both lower their guns and flashlights, and bow.

“I’m — sir, I’m very sorry, sir.” One of them says hurriedly.

The other scampers to get his screen off the ground. “It didn’t even crack. See? It’s all good.”

“Thank you.”

They both visibly cringe when he speaks.

“Carry on the good work.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He walks past them, in the direction of their car, and only when he passes the corner he places the screen back in his ear.

“You still there?”

He hears the omega gulp. “Yeah.” He says; “I’m still here.”

Daniel smiles; “I was sure you’d hung up. Not spooked up yet?”

“I wanted to hear you get arrested.” He admits.

“Resourceful, insolent omega. You’re not scared of anybody, are you?”

“You think _you_ scare me?” His voice sounds somewhere between amused and bitter.

“Well, logic dictates that I should, but for some reason I don’t - why is that?”

“Maybe because you’re not as frightening and as powerful as you think you are.”

“Or maybe because you grew up among alphas and you know how to play the game.”

He’s silent, Daniel can’t even hear him breathing.

“The only game I’m playing is one that will put you behind bars.”

Daniel chuckles; “If you want that, you’ll have to try much harder than that.”

“I will.” He hangs up.

Daniel opens the door of the car and climbs in.

Jaehwan looks up from his screen, and stares at him for a moment. “Do you want to tell me what was that about?”

“Not yet.”

“You were flirting with a Law Department Dispatcher.”

“I wasn’t flirting.”

“ — And he was flirting back…? What the fuck?”

Daniel revs the engine, and starts driving, but he keeps on nibbling his lip until he can’t help it anymore; “Did it really sound like he was flirting back? Like — interested? Or just - you know - polite flirting on the job?”

Jaehwan makes gagging noises all the way back home, and Daniel decides it was a bad idea to open his mouth.

 

.

 

He’s not allowed to get out of the house the next day, because Jisung grounded him. Obviously it didn’t run on the news — but the yellow media was preoccupied all day with the Alpha that was caught on a murder scene, and they weren’t leaving much to imagination about who it is. They practically already mentioned everything beside his name and his face. It was almost amusing.

Not that it would matter, even if they did.

Daniel was known and feared for having connections with the underground, and he did zero attempt to deny it.

Surely, after he hired Jisung as his first adviser, his reputation became cleaner - but it’s not like it erased his past. Daniel didn’t want it erased anyway. It was a part of who he was, and he wasn’t going to pretend to be one of the pious, dignified alphas. No alpha is truly dignified. There is no dignity between them.

Either Way, he doesn’t mind laying low for a bit.

Once, they’re done with running reports about him, there’s interviews with some omegas from omega facilities, and Daniel already had one cup of wine too much.

It’s obvious propaganda; they’re showing smiling faces, and sturdy buildings, and the omega are all saying how protected and healthy they are. None of them has the right voice, so he leans closer to the screen; focusing on the omegas in the background if there are any.

Somehow, he feels like he’ll just spot the dispatcher omega among them, the minute his eyes will land on him, which is awfully dumb.

He finishes his wine, mentioning one of the servants to pour him more by clicking his fingers, then waves him out of the room, and picks up his screen.

Another dispatcher puts him through the 935.

“So what are you doing?”

“You wouldn’t believe it,” He says; “But I’m taking emergency calls for the Law Department. How cool is that.”

Daniel snorts.  “I mean — what are you doing regarding catching me?”

“Can you guess how much of a megalomaniac you sound right now?”

“Vaguely, yes.”

“Where is the body?”

“About that…” Daniel takes a big sip from his wine glass; “Technically the only body in the room, right now is me, considering how I smell. Didn’t bath yet after exercising. Which was…” He glances at the clock; “5 hours ago.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Not yet.”

He actually laughs; “You do realize they’re monitoring my calls now, right? In case you call.”

“I figured something like that, yeah. I don’t mind. Do you mind?”

“What is wrong with you? Did you fall on your head or something when you were little?”

“More times than you think. Thank god, I have a thick skull.”

“Jesus.” He’s still amused.

Daniels licks his lips. “So - what do you have on me? Let’s hear it.”

“It doesn’t matter what I got on you. Even if I figure out your name, chances are you won’t get a conviction because of your status.”

“Well, maybe if I confess?”

“Even if you confess, your lawyers will just dismiss it within a day or two.”

“True. And what if I’m get caught red handed? On camera or something?”

He’s quiet for a moment; “I’m sure your advisers would make it go away somehow.”

“So you just gave up?”

“The odds are against me, are they not? If you were a lower status Alpha - maybe. But that’s not the case, is it? You made the officers on the scene poop their pants. They didn’t even mention seeing anybody in the report. An alpha’s reputation is everything.” He slurps something noisily. Probably coffee. “Would be a darn shame to see it ruined.”

Daniel can’t stop the grin from spreading; “ _You_ tipped off the media?”

“Now, where would you get such a silly idea? You know omegas can’t come in contact with the outside world.”

Daniel hums. “And here I thought coming after the officers.”

“They did provide the name. The anonymous tip directed the reporter to the right people— or so I heard. On TV.”

“Isn’t it a bit cruel? To point a blaming finger at them?”

“They were the ones who let you go.”

“Out of fear.”

“I have no compassion for them. If I was in their place, I’d shoot on sight.”

If Daniel suspected it before, now it’s confirmed. These are not the words of a person that spent his childhood among betas.

“You’d shoot me on sight? I’m deeply offended.”

“You don’t sound very offended.”

“Huh - but you went through so much effort for me. Clearly I'm more special than you want to assume."

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but you’re just one of the millions of alphas who murder, extort and get away with everything - you’re fueled by your own ego and vanity, you call to report your doings, knowing fully well you are never going to get caught or receive justice for your actions, when the truth is that the world will continue rotating on its course just fine without you.”

“And yet, I feel like I’m the only one call you anticipate during your shift.”

“That’s…” He pauses.

“Let’s lie the cards on the table; I’m interested in knowing you, and you’re interested in knowing me - even if you excuse it with something like putting me in jail. I bet the thought of me calling sends a rush down your spine, because you know it's a new opportunity to interact with me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Oh, he's angry. “You’re the one that insists calling.”

“But admittedly, you’d be disappointed if I stop. I bet I’m the most exciting thing that happened to you in years.”

He snorts; “Aren’t you projecting a bit? You got all bored in your tall alpha tower, where everything goes your way, and nothing is exciting anymore… and here I am, an insolent omega that doesn’t play by your rules. You’re probably jerking off to the thought of teaching me a lesson with your magical cock.”

Daniel smiles; “I don’t deny that I might have entertained the thought.” He can almost hear him rolling his eyes. “Your voice really keeps me _up_ at night.”

He bursts into a short laughter at the pun; “You don’t even know how I look like.”

“That’s irrelevant.”

“What if I have scales? What if I got three hands or some weird genetic deformity?"

"Do you have three hands?"

"No, that's beyond the point —-”

"That's a shame, because that’s more hands to touch my dick.”

He laughs, but catches himself really quickly. “You probably think you’re hilarious, don’t you?”

“Well, you’re laughing, aren’t you? So _you_ think I’m funny.”

“None of my hands, even the hypothetical third one is going to touch your dick. Not even in a million years.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“You’ll never be able to find me.”

“I already know your dispatcher number. How much harder can it be?”

“The dispatcher numbers allocated to us are random and just for regulation. I can change it anytime I want. It’s an omega job. I’m anonymous, until I tell you my name.”

“Aw, look at you, you’re practically spoon-feeding me.”

“Do you ever hear yourself talk?”

“Feel free to hint me your name, any time now.”

He’s quiet for a moment, then, more quietly says; “I’m not scared of you."

“I bet your knees are shaking right now.”

“Yes, I’m covered with sweat. Grab a pen and paper, asshole, I’m not going to repeat it twice.”

“I have a hunch I won’t forget it easily.”

“You probably will, it’s a very common name.”

“You better not lie, because I’ll find out if you do.”

“It’s…” He takes a long inhale, as if he’s mentally preparing for it, and then, when Daniel feels the hairs on his arms standing up from anticipating, he’s met with a dial tone.

He’s so frustrated he throws his screen at the wall, and paces around the room for a moment, before throwing the vase off the table, too, just because he feels spiteful.

He leans down the table, bracing it to calm down, then finally laughs — because yeah, he kinda deserved that.

 

.

 

He opens the curtains in Jaehwan’s room at 5:23, the minute the sun is up.

“Get up, you have a job to do.”

“What time is it…?” He looks at the clock, then falls back onto his pillow; “You got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Up, up!” Daniel encourages, by tapping his bed aggressively.

“What is this for…?”

“I need the faces and personal information of all the omegas that work as dispatchers for law enforcement.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, not this again. Daniel, it’s so highly illegal, that even _I_ don’t want to touch it with a three meter pole - Not to mention how fucking impossible that is? There is no way I'll be able to get this information."

“I need this by tomorrow. Work fast.”

It is hard information to find. Especially considering not all omegas facilities have clean records, but he’s able to find a team that hacks into a government database of omegas facilities within a week.

The database could be searched by professions, which was a relief. Narrowed down only to their region's top 10 facilities - left him with only 5 thousand faces to look at.

None of them really sprung up to him, but the records could be wrong, or badly kept, so he might not even be listed as a dispatcher.

The second attempt is even shorter, but has him even more on edge; omegas with alpha parents or alpha relatives. He realizes very quickly, that no alpha would want to associate himself with an omega son. This was probably not listed in his bio, or perhaps he was given another family name, to protect his parents' reputation.

He’s not even sure what he’s looking for. He just feels like the face will immediately jump up to him, once he’ll see it. He’d be able to match his voice to his face, just like that. Magic.

It’s insane.

He knows it’s insane.

On the third attempt, he decides to go through the top 5 facilities in their region.

If his hunch about his upbringing was right, then he’ll be still kept in a good facility, under a false name. It would be well funded, discrete.

That’s over 20 thousand omegas.

So he goes over each face, carefully. Sometimes even reads the short bio the social workers have written on them.

Jaehwan comes in with a drink somewhere around 1 am in the morning, and Daniel rubs his eyes for a moment, before accepting it out of his hands.

“Do you want to talk?”

“No.” He answers; “Did Jisung send you?”

“Well - we’re both worried.”

“I’m fine.”

“First you report every activity we do - now you’re obsessed with some omega? Daniel —”

“Look, just — I don’t know what I’m doing either, just let me… do this.”

The truth is, now he’s even more adamant to find him than yesterday. He tried calling several times now, asking for Dispatcher 935 — and the voice that answered him was not the same voice. The poor girl on the line didn’t even know who he was talking about, because she was new on the job.

If this turns out to be fluke — then, he’s gone.

Jaehwan sighs, and goes over the main screen that’s projected on the wall, scrolling through the faces.

He’s seen so much of them, that they probably all look the same to him, by now. Daniel can’t help but relate — “Stop.”

Jaehwan removes his hand off the screen.

“Scroll back.”

He does what told, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Slowly,” Daniel stands up, so he could see the faces better — and there he is. Back on the screen. None of the four omegas displayed, was currently employed in Law Department - but Daniel didn’t give a damn, and enlarged the picture of the top left one.

The three moles on his cheeks. Dead giveaway.

He's much older - no longer a teen; the haircut is messier, too. Fuck.

“What?” Jaehwan asks.

He sits down on his desk, and a smile stretches on his lips.

“You’re creeping me out.”

“This omega should be dead.” He clicks on the profile. Kim Minjun. A most common name. They might as well called him John Smith and called it a day.

Beta parents, died in a fire. No living relatives. And yet he found himself in the most prestigious facility in town. "Complete and utter bullshit. Is there any other information?"

Jaehwan searches some more, and comes out with a video interview, and look and behold, it's for dispatcher recruitment.

The minute he starts talking, Daniel barks out a laugh, then shakes his head in disbelief.

Fucking amazing.

He knew it couldn’t just be a coincidence.

He watches until the end.

It’s a 45 minute interview — and it’s 45 minutes too short. He clicks on replay the minute it’s over — and Jaehwan literally snaps and closes the feed on the wall; “Okay dude — no. That’s enough. You’re clearly losing it. Go to sleep.”

Daniel opens the feed back up; “No, you don’t understand — I know him…” He’s distracted by the way he laughs awkwardly on the screen when introducing himself, and forgets what he wanted to say.

“Daniel - you know that omegas are dangerous. You’re risking the entire plan — all our goals — everything. You're going to ruin everything? For some omega?”

“This omega is different. He'll fit into the plan.”

“Look at yourself — you look — bewitched, or something! You’re not even thinking clear…!”

“You don’t understand, Jaehwan.” He finally looks away from the screen; “This omega is my mate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, hey! I hope you guys are excited! I had to really hold myself back from posting this earlier, in order to keep the suspense lol  
> :D  
> NEXT UPDATE???? THEY FINALLY MEET!!! :D  
> btw, I am preparing a twitter thread with a bunch of BBB lore, and I'll post it soon! So... if you want just a bit more of this world, come read it!


	8. Seongwoo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *running around while yelling and throwing papers around*

“The following omegas, please report to the management offices in the 8th floor of the main building: Lee Sungjong 5434234 , Kim Bogum 7785234 , Kim Minjun 9953411—”

There’s more names getting called afterwards, but Seongwoo looks up, having heard his number and name. He almost never gets called on PA.

He rubs his head and waits for them to  repeat it - when they do, and his name is still called, he rubs his head and sits up on the edge of the bed.

What did he do now?

He's already losing it without a job.

Although most of his friends here had tried to drag him to all sort of recreational activities, parties, and sign him up for omega courses, he was ready to explode. He’s been wrapped into reading books on his screen for an entire day, just because that's the only thing that made sense. 

He still can’t believe they fired him.

Over something like this, too.

Even his supervisor couldn’t help him; said it’s a higher up decision, and that she’s sorry.

Only once he wasn’t working, he understands that he might have… overdone it. But it was so easy to get carried.

Weird alpha dude was clearly on some vigilante crusade; Seongwoo compiled all his kills - all of them were clearly people on the bad side of the law - some were actually running away from authorities. His supervisor warned him to stop digging; it’s most likely that he won’t get a conviction, even if caught, so it’s useless - but Seongwoo couldn’t _stop_. Now when he was so close - not when he was addicted to the sound of voice, and the petty banter - it was intoxicating. Every time he answered the phone, he was hoping that it’s him again, which was simply maddening. He couldn’t even sleep at night, thinking about it, running it through his head. What he could've said better - what he could've done.

He gave him a taste of freedom; one that Seongwoo hadn’t tasted for a long time, one that he forced himself to forget. Tipping off a reporter through his supervisor, and then also flaunting it… was probably just asking for dismissal. Especially when dealing with an alpha - he should've been more subtle. 

At first he was angry. It was hard to admit that he was the one out of control. Outraged to have been dismissed from a job he kept for years. A job he loved and was good at.

But then he came to terms with it. 

He wears a clean white shirt, before shuffling out of the room, with his screen in his hand.

He's already at the elevator, when he stumbles upon Baekhyun.

He looks distraught - Seongwoo actually didn’t see him for a couple of days now, since they celebrated his “Laid Off” party.  

“Hey!”

“Hey —” His eyes are wide, and he looks around for a moment before finally looking down; “What’s up?”

“Not much. Bored out of mind - you okay?”

He nods, but the answer clearly isn’t ‘yes’. “Do you have a minute?”

“I was actually just called to go to the administration — want to come with?”

“No — it’s okay. It’s fine. We’ll just… talk later.” He smiles a polite curt smile, and disappears, and leaves Seongwoo looking after him.

“Minjun!” Somebody claps his back, and he turns about. He immediately recognizes him by the face, he used to sit a cubicle next to him, but he quit more than a year ago. He was older, but a cool co-worker, but somehow after he quit they never really saw each other. It was hard to really keep connections within the walls of the dome; hard to know who to trust. Sungjong always felt like he knew too much.

“Sungjong…! You got called too?”

“Yeah. Do you know what’s it about?”

“No.” They shuffle into the elevator.

Sungjong presses on the button. “Is this a Law Department thing?”

“Yeah - probably not? I got fired last week.”

“Oh. Sorry to hear that — oh, yuck, it’s probably another unemployment seminar then, I never bothered looking for a job since I quit…”

“Oh, yeah, you quit because you wanted to get more seriously into painting, no?”

“Yup."

“So what’s an unemployment seminar?”

“They just lecture you some about how beneficial work is for you, and all that… then make you fill some forms about job offerings. I just leave it blank and walk out. They technically can’t _make_ you work. So they try to convince you. It’s dumb.”

“Baekhyun doesn’t work, too, though…” But he wasn’t called. They didn't announce him on the PA.  Seongwoo would've remembered if they did.

“What was that?”

The elevator’s doors open, and the beta staff usher them to a hallway, taking away Seongwoo's screen and promising to give it back once they're done.

Seongwoo gets a chill up his back.

All the omegas scattered about the seats are either current or former dispatchers. It's evidently a Law Enforcement thing.

A girl that was sitting in the cubicle in front of his tugs his shirt; “Do you know what’s this about?” He doesn’t know her by her name, but even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to say something - so he just shakes his head and hopes he’s wrong.

It takes a few more minutes until the last few omegas arrive — all dispatchers, too — and he spends those minutes in tense as a string. He can’t even lean back on his chair.

Sungjong pats his shoulder, and he almost jumps; “Minjun, are you alright?”

He nods, and smiles, but doesn’t get to elaborate, because the Facility headmistress herself, comes out of his room.

She looks flushed with excitement, almost to the point where one of her employees brings her some water before she can speak to them, she takes a long shaky inhale; “My dear omegas, our humble facility has the great honour of hosting an Alpha from the city today!” She claps her hands together. 

Seongwoo feels the hairs on his arms stand.

“He is a very charismatic and a very important man, who took time off of his busy schedule to help with a police investigation. Now, now - don’t worry, none of you is in trouble. He wants to ask you a few personal questions regarding your work. Just be honest and polite, the way you are always taught and everything will be alright.”

“What exactly are they looking for…?” Sungjong asks.

“They’re looking for a certain individual, that’s all.”

For him.

They’re looking for him.

Seongwoo’s throat feels dry, and his palm sweaty.

He’s probably overthinking it — maybe it’s something else. Maybe this really is about some case. Maybe they’re looking for that Alpha after all? Maybe that’s what it’s all about?

"When he's passing through, you will all stand up and bow your heads. When inside the room, wait until he asks you to sit. Speak only when spoken to. Keep proper omega manners, at all times. No unnecessary questions, is that clear? Alpha Kang Daniel has no time to waste."

The dread that spreads in his body when he hears the name ‘Kang’ is almost numbing.

He remembers the third time they spoke — he sent the police dispatcher to the Kang Tower parking lot.

He can’t even say ‘yes’ when all the other omegas do, before falling into excited chatter.

He roots his fingernails into the chair.

There’s no way — no way he found him. He didn’t know his face. He’d have to go over million of interviews to find him. No alpha had that much time.

He’s just paranoid.

He has to be.

By the time he comes down the hall, accompanied by a posse of bodyguards, assistants and facility staff, Seongwoo convinces himself, it’s fine. It can’t possibly him — it’s just an odd coincidence.

His scent is overwhelming. Strong and rich. It's been awhile. Seongwoo forget how heady an alpha’s scent would make him feel.

They all stand up in two perfect rows, heads bent.

He slows down when he nears them, and the chatter that went along him abruptly halts.  
Seongwoo can see only his feet.

Dark gray tailored pants. The expensive kind. Black boots. They stop right before him — _right_ in front of him.

He turned to him - out of all the omegas, all twenty-something of them - he stopped to look at him.

Seongwoo doesn't dare lift his gaze. He doesn’t dare to breathe.

Finally, he continues walking - after what seemed like forever.

A door is closed. The bodyguards stay outside.   
An assistant calls a name, not his - and then they all get to sit back. Seongwoo is so petrified that he doesn't think anything for the first five minutes.

Once the second omega comes out, closing the door after himself, he sobers up.

“I need to go to the bathroom.” He tells the assistant manager.

“It’ll be just a minute.”

“I need to - right now.”

She calls out to another Beta to escort him.

The windows are small, the ventilation holes are tiny, and he’s not able to reach them - the only way out of bathroom is inside the goddamn toilet drain, and he won’t be able to fit in it either.

He begs the beta outside that he forgot something in his room, but he refuses to listen, and drags him back to the hallway.

Seongwoo rubs his hands on his knees, looking around. There has to be some way for him to get out.

Sungjong is sitting right across him, eyebrows furrowed; “What?” He asks. “What’s wrong? Somebody you know?”

“Not exactly.” He swallows; “I can’t get into the room. He knows it’s me.”

Sungjong already opens his mouth to say something when his name is called. He glances at the assistant and mouths ‘I’ll buy you time’.

The time he buys him goes to waste; he says he wants to go to the bathroom again, but the headmaster comes along and scolds him for making her look unprofessional. “Control your bladder for another 15 minutes, for the love of god.” She says, fanning herself, before smiling to the assistants outside the door.

They escort Sungjong right to the elevator, without giving them the opportunity to interact, so Seongwoo decides to beg. And beg he does; he says he’s terrified of alphas since childhood. He comes up with a whole elaborate sob-story. Gut-wrenching, and heart clenching. He’s ready to cry.

She assures him he’ll be okay, pats his back soothingly, and promises there will be a beta right outside the door, he’ll just answer a few questions and will be done, just like the rest of them.

Of course, he’s the last one to come in.

The omega that leaves the room looks giddy after having interacted with an Alpha, like an idiot - they don't even understand that the man sitting in there is a murderer. 

His name isn’t called for awhile, until finally, the staff come out, along with the alpha’s assistant; “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He says into the room, before closing the door - and Seongwoo tries to ignore how similar the voice sounds to the personal assistant on the phone. “Kim Minjun.”

Seongwoo takes a long shaky inhale.

Fuck everything.

He gets up.

“You too,” the beta warns him, surprising the other betas in the hall; “He’ll be real disappointed if you’re _not_ what he wants. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t have done in your stead.” He straights the shirt on Seongwoo by the shoulders, and when Seongwoo frowns at him, he raises his eyebrows at him.

Definitely the same personal assistant.

Fuck.

 _Fuck_. 

Okay — if that any indication; that bastard must be unsure if it is him or isn’t him, so he should deny. It’s not him. There have been a mistake — he never even worked in Law Enforcement. There’s a lot of Kim Minjuns. They got the wrong one.

He enters into the room, careful not to look at the alpha - in fact, he’s going to avoid his gaze as long as possible. It’s not him.

He stands next to the chair in the room.

A moment passes since the door has been closed.

"Kim Minjun." He calls out, and fuck — it's him. It's _his_ voice. And it sounds even more overwhelming up front. “Is it? It _is_ quite a common name.”

"Yes." He answers, quietly, as if it might mask his voice. He keeps his eyes steady on the desk. Omega manners and all. He can do it.

“Turn about.”

Seongwoo is tempted to look up, just to see what expression he’s wearing. “Sir...?”

“I said, turn about.” He spins his finger around.

Be it any other day, he would’ve spat in his face — but since he’s not looking to stand out, Seongwoo clenches his jaw, and turns around, before returning to his spot.

“So no third arm, after all. What a disappointment.”

Seongwoo’s mouth twitches. He swallows; “Sir?”

"Look at you - lost all your courage? Not more names to call me by, now, huh?"

"I would never." Seongwoo pauses; " _Sir_." 

“Are you pretending not to know who I am?”

“I haven’t got the slightest — I’m afraid there’s been a mistake; I never worked in the Law department. I tried telling the people outside, but they wouldn't listen..."

“Oh, is that so?””

“Ye—” He stops talking when he hears him getting up. He buttons his suit jacket as he does.

“Sir?” He urges, circling the desk.

“ _Sir_.” Seongwoo swallows thickly. He’s not going to let him have the upper hand.

When he catches unto his chin, probably so he could lift his face, Seongwoo grabs a pen off the desk. He almost plunges it deep into his throat, too - one quick move is all it ever takes - but the alpha grabs his hand right before it hits his skin.

He moves his eyes to his face, and studies him, up close — his eyes, and the mole under his eyes, and his hair, and nose, and lips. Daniel runs his eyes on his face too, as if taking in every bit of it, before finally speaking;

“Attacking an alpha?" He snorts. "Ballsy. You know you could get executed for that?”

Seongwoo tears his hand out of grip and takes a step back. “I’d rather be executed, then.” Only now that he’s looking at him, he can’t look away.

“Would be a darn shame to die a second time.” He smiles; “Wouldn’t it, Ong Seongwoo?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY.  
> IS EVERYBODY STILL BREATHING? I might update like tomorrow or the next day uwu


	9. Seongwoo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> If you're really feeling this story and you want to experiance just a tiny bit more, I made a [Lore thread!](https://twitter.com/yeolinski/status/1046415236113321985)  
> It's just explanation and pictures about a bunch of things, including the history of the world, omega domes, how a/b/o works here and the likes of it? :) You're obviously not obligated to read or visit the thread, it's just something I made for funsies. It is most likely to make more and more sense as you keep on reading and the story unrevealed, and more details come up, but I do understand this can be confusing to some of you at first, so that's why I made it! :>  
> Anyway enjoy.

The pen drops out of his hand, but he makes no attempt to move out of his spot.

It clutters in the silence of the room, rolling until it meets the chair legs.

He must have misheard it — he must have.

“What did you say?” His voice comes out a higher than he expected.

“Are you going to deny that, too? You’re not Ong Seongwoo?” He crosses his hands on his chest.

He haven’t heard that name in a very long time — he hadn’t been addressed with it, either.

It almost sounds odd, now. Unfamiliar.

Like it doesn’t fit him.

Ong Seongwoo was a different person — a person who died. Kim Minjun rose from his ashes, boring and mediocre, agreeable and indifferent be everything around him. Like a temporary role he had to play for too long - so long that he got used to it, to how comfortable and safe it made him feel.

Not to be anybody at all, just a face among the crowd. Another unwanted omega.

But the way it rests on Daniel’s lips, the way he says it — no, it’s not even that, even talking to him had somehow managed to conjure things Seongwoo forgot existed within him.

He should’ve just stayed quiet and calm, the way he always is during his calls.

Why did he continue to answer? Why did he feel like he had to engage? Like he has to continue provoking and prodding and instigating it further?

He clenches his jaw; “How— how do you know that name?”

“Ah, what a blow to my ego,” He puts a hand on his chest, to feign hurt; “Have you really forgotten me?”

Seongwoo tries to remember the faces of his classmates, the other students, but none of them really fits the profile - none of them stood out. Not like this - never like this.

Something about him - something about him is familiar, but he cannot put a finger on it, and cannot decide what. Perhaps the fact that he’s an alpha?

“Well, I haven’t forgotten _you_. I knew you weren't dead. The closed casket and the private funeral confirmed it. More people would’ve attended if they knew it was their last chance to look at you — but Imagine my surprise when I saw your face among all those omegas, all grown up.” He run his eyes on Seongwoo’s body, and Seongwoo finds himself holding his breath. They locked eyes from the very moment Seongwoo lifted his gaze to meet his — and it’s not something Seongwoo is used to - keeping somebody’s gaze like that.

Why did it feel so intense?

“And you’re still running your mouth, I see. You weren’t very good at controlling it at school, too, were you? When I connected the face to the voice... What an odd coincidence, I thought.”

“So you came here - for what, exactly? Because I tipped off some reporter? To blackmail me?”

“No, no… I don’t deal with such nonsense.” He waves his hand dismissively, and sits on the edge of the desk, crossing his hands on his chest; “You see, on the day that you, _presumably_ , died - you and me made a contract.”

Then it hits him. All at once. “It’s you— you’re the— you’re that _short_... blood-thirsty dude…!”

He scoffs, expression turning into amused outrage; “I can’t believe this; not only did you forget my face and name — all you remembered about me that I was short and bloodthirsty? You’re really _something_.”

The man standing before him - was there on the worst day of his life. It feels so long ago, that it's almost like it's been in another lifetime.

“Kind of hard to recognize you without all the blood on your face - and the — added height.”

“I was still growing!” He insists - and yeah, it’s definitely him. His voice completely changed. It’s deep now.  He definitely grew bigger, not just in terms of height, but shoulders and limbs. “I was fresh off the streets, back then, too - I’d pig out every time I was presented with food, so I was probably more…” He puffs his cheeks.

Seongwoo is tempted to laugh - he feels overwhelmed and disoriented. He’s not even sure what he’s feeling. The situation just seems delirious to him. Like an some elaborate dream he’s experiencing, and in a moment, he’ll wake up. “ _Chubbier_ is the word you were looking for.” He helps.

“Cute. I’ll take it.” He agrees, then takes a long inhale; “Well, I’ll cut to the chase. It’s great that you remember me now — It'll make this whole process much easier then. Because you already agreed."  
"What process?"

Daniel squints at him slightly, gaze intense, before finally reaching his hands down onto the table, to sit up straighter. "The childbearing process."

At first Seongwoo doesn’t get it, so he blinks - then he rubs his head, then blinks again.

“The what, now?”

"You heard me. We made a contract. We shook our hands to it. You agreed to it. My silence, for your bond. And since you're not dead, you are still held accountable."   
Seongwoo actually bursts into a short fit of laughter, and when he sees Daniel is still holding a semi-serious expression on his face, he laughs again; "Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No, I’m _fucking_ not.”

“That was 11 years ago. I was a kid. And — you were a kid. A murderous chubby kid."

“I wouldn’t give a crap even if it were 50 years ago. A pact is a pact, an agreement is an agreement. I held my part of the bargain. I never told a soul, despite your _untimely_ death.”

“But it didn’t matter much, did it? I still ended up here, locked away in this shithole, with every other unwanted offspring that popped out of that damned city.”

“And I’m offering you a way out. You’ll live in my mansion. With me. You won’t be missing a thing. You could go wherever you want, as long as you come back to my bed.”

“Yeah, all I’ll have to do is to fart out some babies for you, right? No thanks. At least here, I don't have to be scared for my asshole every time I step outside of my room.”

“What a mouth you have on you. Is that how all omegas talk?” He’s amused with him, which makes Seongwoo even more frustrated, because he’s not even taking him seriously.

“I didn’t realize I needed to be polite. Or was that also in the contract we made over a _decade_ ago? Face it, buddy. You have nothing on me. Want to expose me as an omega? Go ahead. You can scream it from rooftops, for all I care. People forgot who I am - people forgot that I _even_ existed. The only people you’ll be hurting are my parents.” His throat feels dry at the thought of it actually happening; “Run to the media. I’ll even provide you all the evidence. Blood test, truth serum - whatever you need. You’ll be doing me a bigger favor than you think.”

He leans back a little and stays quiet for a moment.

Seongwoo swallows the thick lump in his throat.

“You want to hurt them back, don’t you? So do I.” He pushes off the table, and stands up straight.

“ _You_? What business do you have to do with my parents?”

Daniel turns his back to him, fingers sliding down the desk as he walks back around it.

“Your family have been in power of this city for too long. They’ve grown weak - and you are the proof of that.”

Seongwoo tightens his fists.

“It’s time for new blood to raise to the throne.”

“So you volunteered yourself?” He snorts; “Don’t make me laugh. You’re a spec of dirt on their shoes, no matter what you’ll do. My family — my parents own every inch upon this land. They built it. Our family name predates the war. It’s not about wealth; it’s about tradition, heritage. All the other families love the order they’ve created, they thrive under it. Do you really think they’ll be willing to give it up — for you? A bastard from the streets?”

Daniel turns back to him, wearing a small smirk on his face. “They will if they’ll have no choice.”

Seongwoo takes a step back, unconsciously, shaking his head; “Look - you helped me - back then…” He shudders when he thinks about the teacher and his cold hands crawling under his shirt. He feels nauseous; “and I am grateful. I’ll… help you. With whatever you need. If you want to bring them down, I’m in - but I’m not leaving the facility.”

He sinks down into the chair he was sitting at, and opens his arms, shrugging; “Well - you can’t blame for trying to play nice. It doesn’t matter what you want, Seongwoo. You don’t get a say in this. You’re an omega, with no rights of your own, and nobody to vouch for you. And I happen to be in an urgent need for a heir. Or two. And in the wild case of the back-up plan needing a backup plan, three heirs.” He raises three fingers and flutters them around, as if Seongwoo needs some visual aid to know how many children exactly is three children.

Seongwoo feels the blood in his veins boiling; “I am _not_ having your deluded, crazy babies!”

“We’ll just have to wait and see about that, won’t we?” He opens his screen.

He must have raised his voice far too loudly, because the headmistress sticks her head through the door - and only then knocks.

“Yohoo — Is everything alright? You're taking—”

They both bark “Yes!” at her, at the same time, which makes her cheery expression fall. She keeps on standing there, eyes wide, until Daniel finally snaps; “We need a few more minutes. Close the door.”

She gives Seongwoo one quick stern glance, as if telling him to behave, and he rolls his eyes, crossing his hands impatiently on his chest.

The moment the door closes behind her, Seongwoo drops into the chair, trying to regain his composure. If there’s something he learned, it’s that losing his head often proves to be useless.

“I have a better plan.”

“Do you?” He’s busy with his screen, now, tapping away; “Never bought omega rights before, so many clauses to tick.”

Seongwoo feels his heart in his ears. Fucking shameless bastard.

“You could take any omega. I have a few candidates on top of my head; same build, same features. Convince them to get a few surgeries, and they’d look just like me in no time — And they would love to serve you. They’d die to get out of here - they’d do anything. They’ll give you as many heirs as you want. You can even take several. Clone me and shit. My parents are going to be shitting bricks.”

He raises his eyes back to Seongwoo, lips stretching slightly; “So why don’t _you_ want to leave?”

“Do you really want me? I mean, look at me—”

“I am.” He cuts him off, eyes going down to his neck, and Seongwoo bangs the table out of frustration, to get his attention back to his face.

“You are never going to make a docile puppet out of me — I will never do what you want.”

“Do you really think _that’s_ what I want?” He goes back to his screen, and Seongwoo feels his chest caving in on his lungs.

“What is it then? Do you get all hot and bothered because I talk back? Is that it? Because let me tell you, there are other omegas here that would give me a run for my money. They have such dirty mouths, they’ll get your motor up and—”

“It can’t be anybody else. It has to be you.”

“ _Why_?”

Daniel isn’t answering, he running his eyes on the screen, and actually marking things, and it drives Seongwoo absolutely fucking mad. He’s about to crawl up the walls.

“I’m not going to sleep with you — I’m not going to sleep with a murderer and a—”

Daniel clutches onto one of his hands and draws him to himself over the table.

"Are you really naive enough to think I'm the only Alpha out there that resorts to killing to progress my agenda? What do you think happened to all the servants that saw you coming home in a perfectly fine condition? To the driver that took you home? The people in the funeral home, who saw your empty coffin? They all needed to stay quiet, and the dead don't talk." 

Seongwoo furrows his eyebrows. 

He was conditioned not to think about it. The way his parents taught him is that everybody are expandable, beside him and the two of them. 

"What do you think happened to your nanny?" His tone changes slightly; "The one that raised you as her own?"

“How did you—”

"They killed her. One clean stab to the throat from behind. Clearly a professional. She was shoved to an alleyway right next to the mansion, wrapped in plastic bag. Nobody reported her for months."

Seongwoo tears his hand out of his grip, and looks away from him.

"The garbagemen thought she was rotting food when they found her --" 

"Stop." He cuts him off, shuddering - that woman was more his mother than his biological mother could ever been; "Enough. I get it. All alphas are complete and utter scum. You or my parents. You're all the same."

Daniel is quiet for a moment, then says; "You'll change your opinion about me."

"I'm not leaving." Seongwoo insists. "You can't make me."

“You can leave unconscious. That’s always an option.”

"I'd rather leave in a bodybag, then!”

Daniel cooes at him, still partially amused; “So dramatic! Is having sex with me that repulsive to you?”

“What was your first clue? The first 15 times I said no…?!”

The headmistress knocks this time, but doesn’t wait for an answer; “So how are things going—?”

"This omega is leaving with me. Prepare his belongings." Daniel tells, nose still stuck in his fucking screen. Seongwoo wants to break it.

She looks utterly stumped, looking between them; "Leaving with you... sir...? But, he can't really leave, the laws --"

"Yes, the laws." Seongwoo says; "I'm staying here. I can't go out.”

"You can if you’ll agree to be my mate.”

"But I have to agree to it. No? And I _refuse_." He turns back to her; "If I don't agree with the bonding, it's illegal. You can't take me out of here."

"Technically—” The beta tries again, but Daniel cuts her off.

"I told you, already; we can do it the normal way or my way—”

“You are not above the _law_ , asshole—-”

“Minjun! Please, get a hold of yourself!” The headmistress scolded, utterly stupefied in her place at the door; “I am very sorry, sir, Minjun has problems with authority, had them since he arrived here as a child, but if you’re —”

“I have no doubt believing that, for some reason—”

Seongwoo is red with anger at this point; “What sort of a lie is that? I’m the most well behaved omega in this entire facility! I’m literally a little sunshine!”

“Enough!” Daniel calls out, using a deeper tone, and Seongwoo hates how his initial instinct is to bite himself back. Seems like it’s the same for the headmistress, because her head bends ever so slightly, eyes going down to the floor. "Since Kim Minjun is an orphan whose parents died in a freak accident, and he had no living relatives, the facility is allocated as default guardian until such a time comes that an alpha or beta chooses to sponsor him, out of the goodness of their heart. As of a second ago, I own Kim Minjun, and he’ll be leaving with me.” He shows the certificate on his screen.

“See - that’s where you wrong. That still doesn't mean you can take me out of here. I have to agree to a bonding contract." He turns to the headmistress again; "Right?”

She opens her mouth to speak, but Daniel starts before she can; “Mmmm, no, I think that’s where you’re wrong. I mean, you can choose to refuse a bonding contract. It’s your call. But you won’t be staying here tonight.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

He let’s a smile stretch on his features; “As you legal guardian —” He looks around the room; “I don’t think I like this facility.”

“Alpha Kang Daniel, you will find that our facility is the finest in all of asia—”

“Exactly why I don’t like it. Because he likes it.” He turns to Seongwoo. “He’s too comfortable here. Let’s transfer you to a much less hospitable facility. Do you like rats, Minjun?”

“I like them better than I like you.”

“Minjun — _ancestors_ , please, control your tongue!”

“How about a cockroach infested dinner once a day? Would you like that? I bet they’ll find you a cozy room with a bunch of other omegas, who already took your mattress. We'll see how much you'll insist on staying in a facility after sleeping on the floor for a few nights.”

Seongwoo feels like stabbing him with a pen again.

He turns back to the beta headmistress; "Why are you still standing there? I said prepare his belongings. Whatever he decides, he won't be staying here tonight."

 

.

 

“You can’t expect me to sign this — it’s 43 pages long. Give me one night to review it before I decide.”

“You can review it from…” He has his legs on the table; “Your room at your new facility. I heard the view is quite spectacular in this time of the year; you can see the rotting cement of the dome right out of your window, since it’s a city dome. In the slumps. They don’t allow glass domes there.”

Seongwoo glares at him.

Daniel glances at him; “Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll make new friends there. You’ll only have 5 roomies, but there’s over 10,000 more omegas sharing your dorms.”

Seongwoo turns to the headmistress and her assistant, who both look shell shocked. “This is coercion. He is forcing me to sign the bonding papers. Aren’t you going to do something about it?”

The headmistress has the decency to actually look apologetic. “I’m afraid my hands are tied, Minjun. He has your rights.”

Seongwoo turns to Daniel, who sits down straight, and puts his hands on the desk before him, before gesturing with his chin at the pages before Seongwoo.

Seongwoo takes the pen and goes over the table of contents, trying to find a loophole. There must be something.

When he finds one, he almost bites onto the tongue; “Contract termination — If the bond doesn’t happen within a certain time period, I have to return right?”

“Technically, yes.”

“What time period is that?”

“A month.” The assistant answers.  

“A month.” Seongwoo repeats, looking straight at Daniel. “I can do a month.”

Daniel furrows his eyebrows.

Seongwoo signs.

Daniel’s assistant walks in, unceremoniously; “What is taking so long? The omegas here are about to make me their leader —” He takes in the scene. Look at the headmistress. At the contract on the table. At Daniel. At Seongwoo. At Daniel again, then turns the contract toward himself to read it.

“ _No_.” He says.

“He already signed.”

“You _promised_ — you said we are only visiting.”

“We did visit. Now we’re leaving. With him.” He stands up, and closes the button on his jacket.

“I knew you were lying — you can’t lie! Your eye always does this twitchy thing when you lie! You said you drank too much coffee — Daniel, please —- it’s broad daylight, there are already… plenty of _witnesses_.” He whispers the last part, making the headmistress frown.

“I’ll have you know, young man, we are very discreet when it comes to our omegas.”

“Sure, you are — _Daniel_.”

“ _Jaehwan_.” He repeats his tone, in an attempt to mock him.

They’re clearly closer than just an employee and employer. No alpha would let himself be treated like that.

“Is the car ready?” Daniel asks; “I want to be home by lunch.”

“We are not leaving _with him_.”

“We are.” He turns to Seongwoo; “Get up. I’ll give you a few minutes to say goodbye to all your little omega friends, if you’d like.”

“How kind of you.”

“That’s me, the kindest person you’ll ever get to fuck. And the only one.” He picks him up by the arm, but Seongwoo jerks it out of his grip.

“Wow, you sure know how to make an omega wet with your words, don’t you?” They’re already at the door  when Jaehwan runs up in front of him.

“Jisung is going to leave me without my balls. I told him, I got you under control.”

“I am under control.”

“ _No_ \- No, this is not a controlled situation. Brainstorm with me for a second. You are leaving a facility, with an omega. This is going to end up being all over news. You already have a mate.”   
"He’s not my mate." Daniel answers that so hurriedly, that Seongwoo actually glances back from the elevator to see his expression.

He doesn’t have one.

His face is completely devoid of emotion.

“You’re married to him - in the eyes of the law, you are his mate. It looks bad. If you leave the facility with an omega in tow... after the fiasco from last week, it’ll be no worse than social suicide. Our stocks are going to drop. Everything will go to shit. You waited so far - you can wait for a few more hours.”   
Daniel shakes his head, looking troubled; "I want him to get him home as fast as possible. I'm not going to risk losing him again just to wait for nightfall."

"He's right." Seongwoo speaks before he can help it. "If you want to do this, do it right. There's probably reporters outside the dome right now, curious as to why you've arrived to an omega facility. Even if nobody will report it here, it’ll make it to the news. Listen to him."  
Daniel narrows his eyes at him.   
“That’s how you play the game - bulldozing through things gets you nowhere besides to the bottom.”

The elevator dings and the doors open - except everybody just stand there, in tense silence while they stare at each other, until, finally, Daniel takes a long deep inhale.

He turns sharply to his left, where the headmistress and the other staff gathered behind them.

“He eats his dinner before the rest of the omegas. He doesn’t leave his room without the guards. I want to have a patrol on every floor in his dorm building. I will leave my men, if you’re low on manpower. Do not give him back his screen - even if he begs. No access to any other electronics, other than his tv. If somebody visits him during his last hours here - it will be only inside his room, and only after that omega has been through a thorough check. No sharp objects. He’s too smart for his own good.” He glances at Seongwoo briefly, before turning back to the staff members of the facility. “Am I clear?”

“As crystal, sir.”

He turns back to Seongwoo; "Let me be very clear, _Minjun_ ," He says his name in such a tone that makes it obvious that it's not his name, and Seongwoo actually looks around to see the staff's faces; "If you're not here when Jaehwan is back with the car at nightfall — there will be consequences."

"Where would I go?" Seongwoo crosses his chest. "There's a reason why this place is a fortress."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, it is almost 4k long.  
> Don't ask me why. The only thing I truly enjoy is writing petty ongniel banter.


	10. Seongwoo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY, SO!  
> HELLO, AND WELCOME TO **THE UNCHARTED TERRITORY THAT IS NO LONGER IN THE THREAD** (like some of it is - but yeah, most of it is stuff you didn't read lol)  
>  So um! Enjoy! :D I'm almost finished with chap 11!

“So,” Baekhyun starts, clearing his throat as he plays with the trinkets on Seongwoo’s shelf. “You’re leaving, too.”

He came to see him, right after Seongwoo was allowed to have his dinner. They left one of Daniel’s blockhead SWAT team agents with him, and he got impatient with Seongwoo pretty fast. These guys were geared up to go to war, not to guard a bunch of omegas. Seongwoo made him turn around so he could slip a knife into underwear, but as they were walking up to the room, he offered Seongwoo his palm without saying anything, and Seongwoo gave him back the knife. This was a slight setback - along with how his room was raided, and stripped off of anything that he could’ve used. Good thing they didn’t find the emergency bag, Seongwoo kept underneath closet.

“Too?” Seongwoo turns away from folding a shirt.

He nods absently, but doesn’t turn to face him. “I - uh… my sponsor decided that it’s time. I’ll leave in a week or so. He lives in another side of the city - near the water. I heard it’s pretty there.”  

“You don’t sound very happy about it.”

“You don’t look very happy yourself.”

“I was forced into it.” Seongwoo sits down. “I don’t really have much choice. But you — Baekhyun, you can still refuse.”

Baekhyun turns to him finally and his face is swimming with emotions. “I agreed to it already — I can’t exactly back out now…  and if I do… who knows? Maybe he’ll send me back to my old facility. You - you don’t know what it’s like, in the other domes. Sometimes there’s no work, so we were left without food, for weeks. There’s no sunshine, or stars — the city domes; the poor ones, they’re made out of cement. And there’s just… this stink inside of them. Of rot, and… death. Like you already know you’re going to die inside. It makes you feel so… helpless.”

Seongwoo might have imagined it before, too.

Most of the domes were made out of material that allowed the facility to breathe and receive sunlight, but some, the overpopulated, poorest domes are no different than prisons and are made out of cement to ensure that most of the omegas are kept inside. Their population is older, mostly sick and often wiped out by plagues or other diseases. He hears about "Cleanses" on the news sometimes, how they just burn it all down, and build a new dome on top of it. 

Seongwoo vaguely knew - guessed - that life there would be horrible.

He can’t even think about it. It makes him nauseous.

“How did you find that alpha - your sponsor?”

“I ran away, not for the first time — we payed off one of the guards. A bunch of us.” He snorts, and wipes his face, and Seongwoo realizes he’s crying. “But it was a trick - they just wanted to sell us off to the _forbidden clubs_. I refused - I didn’t want to become a prostitute at the cost of my freedom - that’s just… too much. You know? I wanted to go back to the dome. They were going to beat me up until I agreed. He stopped them. He’s like… some… I don’t know. Underground mobster or something.” He sits down, and sniffs; “He’s well off, despite the fact that he hasn’t been in the city from long. He’s from the west - And he doesn’t have a mate. I should consider myself lucky. But I’m… scared.”

Seongwoo doesn’t know what to say. He’s not sure there is something he can say to make it better. So he hugs him.

He glances at the door.

The guards outside were ordered to keep an opened door at all times, just in case, so even now it’s slightly opened.

Seongwoo nibbles at his lip, then whispers; “You can come with me.”

“Come with you?”

“I’m leaving. Tonight. I’m not going to be somebody’s baby machine.”

Baekhyun breaks the hug, eyes wide. “You’re — you’re going to escape?”

Seongwoo nods.

“How? This place is a…”

Seongwoo puts a finger on his mouth, and stares at the door for a moment, straining to listen. The guards are talking to somebody, or between themselves. He can’t tell.

“You’re either coming, or not. I can’t say right now.”

Baekhyun looks at the door for a moment, and considers it. “No.” He decides finally; “No more running for me. I’ve been talking to him on and off during the past year — I don’t think he’ll hurt me. Back where he came from, omegas are prized and more respected —  I don’t think I’ll get a better opportunity to live a good life.” He hesitates for a moment; “I’d rather be somebody’s baby machine than a prostitute.”

“I didn’t mean it like that — I’m…”

The door opens, and Seongwoo’s is a bit taken aback to see Sungjong standing there.

“Oh, sorry - I can come back later.”

“No, it’s okay. I was just leaving.” Baekhyun sniffs again, but turns to him and gives him another hug.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

“It’s okay. I know. Good luck.” He whispers. Seongwoo nods. They seperate, but he holds onto his hand for one last moment.

“Baekhyun — alphas are different than betas. They don’t think when it comes to omegas - use that for your advantage. Use everything for your advantage. Do what you think is right, and don’t trust anybody - just yourself.”

Baekhyun looks confused for a moment, but nods, giving Sungjong a look, before leaving.

Sungjong looks after him for a moment, waiting until the door is as closed as possible, before turning to him.

“Came to check on you.”

“Thanks.” Seongwoo sits back down on the bed. “I’m okay.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

He nods absently, then rubs his hand. It’s bandaged.

In the morning, there wasn’t a bandage. Seongwoo would’ve remembered it. “What happened?”

Sungjong pulls him in into a hug; “You don’t have to go with the alpha.” He whispers.

“I know. I’m not going to.”

“You know about the flood tunnels, by now, right? It’s the only way out right now.”

He knows.

11 years he spent in this facility. He knew it better than his own mansion, because he explored every crook and every crevice, and climbed up and down every balcony and every roof. He was losing his mind inside the confined walls, just like everybody else.

He knew this day would come, eventually. Perhaps vaguely, and definitely not like this, but he was too important to be left alone. They were either going to kill him off, or to bring him back into the game like some missing chess piece, and either option didn't suit his tastes. But being outside on his own, after the comfort of the facility wasn’t ideal, either, especially where suppressants aren’t readily available.

He wanted to. He _planned_. It took years to be fully prepared to venture outside - and by the time he was ready, he lost the will to go through with it. He’d stand there, every time, watching the wasteland unfolding from the edge of the flood tunnel, and go back inside. There was nothing waiting for him out there - so why leave?

“They closed the lid shut. Since the last escapee died in the wasteland.” He removes his bandage, and it reveals a small screwdriver.

“7 o’clock. It’ll be too close to sundown — and also dinner will just be over. Harder to track among the omegas.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“I help others. To escape. If I had time — I could get you an ID — but…” He glances at the door; “I can earn you another 15 minutes. Exactly 7 o’clock, Minjun. Make sure the guards see you right before you leave.”

“Thank you.”

“Okay, good.” Sungjong raises his voice and bandages his arm back. “I’ll see you when I see you.”

Seongwoo nods, smiling; “Yeah.”

He looks at the big windows of his room, and takes a long inhale. The sun is slowly making its way down now. Another hour to go.

He looks around his room, and takes a long inhale.

.

 

He’s a good climber. He’s quick, and his body is pretty light.

It’s the stamina, he has problems with — but this, this is good.

After saying he wants to rest until his ride, he’s out of window. He doesn’t wait to hear Sungjong out of the room. He’s probably already low on time.

He knows the balconies well. Where to hold, and where to put his legs. Back before, they’d do it for fun, make all the beta staff stomp around and yell at them in anger — but nowadays, he gotten too old for these games. But old habits die hard, he’d climb up the balconies in the mornings to see the city every better.

The hall of the fifth floor is quiet. Everybody’s at dinner.

He evades the cameras. Even if they don’t notice that it’s him, the bag will give him away.

The entire building is swarming with Daniel’s men.

He had to walk the extra mile and leave a fucking _army_ in the facility. Probably every bonded beta or alpha he had in his disposal.

He’s almost caught twice, and his heart is in his throat the entire time.

Because of that, the usual route is longer, and takes twice the same time. Instead of the shortcuts, he has to take the longer routes, walk behind a few omegas that head back outside. When he finally enters the engine room, after messing with the lock for over 5 minutes too long, he’s already sweating and red. He allows himself to breath out - but he cannot allow himself to pause; he can’t, because he hears the commotion outside the door. There’s a few men running around.

Shit.  

They must have already found out.

Fuck.

He’s in the service tunnels when he hears the alarms going off. It’s muted here, because it’s underneath the ground.

He starts running. That means he’ll only have 5 minutes until all the tunnels will be automatically close off by the trap doors.

Sungjong was right, the opening is sealed shut with screws.

He’s curses, looking behind him to make sure nobody’s coming. Fuck.

His hands are shaking, and he drops the screwdriver, once he finished, kicking the lid off with his leg and dropping inside.

The trap doors are almost closed — he barely makes it.

Almost loses an arm. They close with a metallic thud right behind him.

He takes a moment just to sit there, regulating his breath. He can’t believe that he actually made it. In the nick of time.

Fuck.

By pure luck alone, and nothing else.

He collects himself up - it won’t be long until they’ll be checking the tunnels, too. He needs to be as far away as possible from here by then.

He’ll reach the factories, north of here by sundown. He’ll probably have to run — but if he’ll make it, there’s plenty of hiding places there. Enough to squat for the night.

Daniel’s men and the facility staff, will be too loud and too much — they’ll get noticed by the marauders. The plan is to sell some valuables and stay on the streets for a few months, until his suppressants run out, then head to another omega facility, under a different name. He’ll pick a good one. Not too shabby, and not too good either.

Perhaps a worse off one, but still - beats the streets.

It’s a great plan.

And it would’ve gone perfectly well.

Except Kang Daniel is sitting on the hood of his car near the exit of the flood tunnel, fiddling with his fingernails.

The sun is setting right behind him.

Seongwoo's jaw clenches, and he drops his bag in anger.

"Did you really think I'm that stupid?” 

"Frankly, yes. You don't look very smart."

He finally looks up, and takes him in. Seongwoo feels so self-conscious under his gaze, that he actually puts a hand through his hair. He’s sweaty as fuck.

“You look worse to wear.”

“Yeah, well, fuck you.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get to that part once we arrive home.”

Seongwoo looks toward the factories. He won't be able to get away too far with a bag this big, and if he discards it, he won't be able to survive out there on his own.

Daniel won this round, whether he liked it or not.

"Get in," He gets up, banging on the car. "You have a long night ahead of you."

Seongwoo takes a moment, because he’s a sore loser - before finally throwing his bag inside, and climbing in.

It's been awhile since he's been inside of a car. Especially as nice as this one. It’s not the most expensive model, but it’s fast - Seongwoo can tell by the hum of the motor.

“Buckle up,” He says, hands on the wheel; “Wouldn't want you to get hurt before the big night."

“I don’t know what deluded fantasy you’re playing inside your head, but we’re not having sex tonight. Or any time soon.”

“First you claim I’ll never find you. Then you’re not leaving the facility. And now we’re not having sex. See the pattern here?”

Seongwoo glares at him, but buckles his belt - and when it clicks, Daniel steps on the gas.

The car flies out of its spot and toward the highway, leaving a trail of dust behind it.

Seongwoo’s eyes widen - perhaps a bit motion sick, because he haven’t been in such a fast driving vehicle for over 11 years. He needs to blinks his eyes a bit to adjust to how fast the things are moving around them — the factory is left behind them within less than a minute, while he knows it would’ve taken him an hour, maybe even more, to reach by foot.  

Once they’re back on an actual road, the ride feels smoother - less nauseating, but Seongwoo can’t stop looking out of the window.

It’s far away from the towers, and too close to the wasteland, so outside the window there’s nothing but ruins or small groups of buildings, abandoned factories, and sand. The sun sets behind them, below the smog, coloring everything in a bright red glow.

It gets darker, and darker — and when the last light is gone, there’s nothing beside the road and the lights of the city they’re speeding towards.

Not much to look at.

Daniel gets a call, and although Seongwoo doesn’t hear it, it sounds like the person on the other side of the line is upset, because they’re talking very fast. Finally, when they finish talking, Daniel says; “Yes, I know. He’s here with me.”

Seongwoo hears the “What do you mean _he’s here with me_?” loud and clear.

“He tried to escape and I found him.”

Jaehwan has a lot to say about that, some of which makes Daniel chuckle.

Seongwoo gets distracted.

Seongwoo opens the window, but there’s too much sand and wind flying in, and in all honesty, the deep darkness scares him.

He closes it.

Daniel finishes his call, just when Seongwoo finds the glowing blue buttons on his seat. They alter his seat from various positions. Somehow he ends up adjusting it back to the way it was before he started fiddling with it.

When he finally glances at Daniel, he’s pursing his lips as hard as he can to stop the smile from coming out.

Is he trying not to laugh at him?

Seongwoo doesn’t like his _face_.

He presses all the buttons he finds within reach, just to annoying him. Some of them make weird noises, some make more lights flare to life, some make the car shake — Daniel laughs, and slaps his hands off the control panel, every time he reaches out to it.

“Stop — _stop,_ Seongwoo _-_ you’ll get us both killed.”

“Then stop doing that face.”

“This is my face.”

“Well, I don’t like it. It annoys me. It’s all smug.”

He’s still amused; “I can’t control the way my face looks like.”

“You can’t control the expression on your face? It’s your face. What sort of an alpha are you?”

“The wrong kind.”

“Clearly.”

There’s more lights in the area they pass through; fires and metallic shacks that look like they might fall in any given moment, electricity.

It’s not that the silence is uncomfortable — but Seongwoo feels restless, so he starts talking.

“What’s wrong with your mate?”

“My husband?”

“Yeah — why aren’t you having children with him?”

“Nothing is wrong with him. He's an alpha of high status, and marrying him was... profitable for us both. He wasn’t able to get pregnant, and I can’t -” He pauses for a moment. “I’m just not interested in him. Or anybody else. Not like that, anyway.”

“So why me?”

“Because.”

“Because my family? Because I’m another bargaining chip?”

There’s a tall wall, in front of them — that marks the city boundaries; the entrance is a wall of light; probably some type of a defense mechanism, to make sure whoever enters and leaves are cars that are allowed to leave - He presses on the gas again, as they pass it.

Thee road curls up above the city that unfolds after the walls, to the _higher roads_. There’s steady electricity below them, vapor coming out of the buildings, shacks and stores, and also domes scattered about, as far as the eye can see. It’s so vast and neon, and the car is moving so fast, that Seongwoo can’t really focus on anything particular.

“Because you’re perfect.” Daniel finally says. Seongwoo turns to him; he forgot he even asked a question, because he was so mesmerized by the views.

“I’m perfect.” He repeats, although it comes out more like a question.

Daniel glances at him briefly, before returning his eyes on the road; “Yeah, you are. I don’t know what is it about you — it was the same back at school. I just don’t give a shit - about anybody, at least... not like that. I'm just not interested in that - but you… you make me…” He looks like he’s having a terrible time thinking of what to say, but finally it comes out; “I just knew it needs to be you.”

“And you decided that — because we talked, like, 6 times on the phone, and spent an hour together 11 years ago?”

Daniel snorts; “Well, you make it sound dumb.”

“It’s because it _is_ dumb. Any other omega could replace me right now and you wouldn’t notice.”

“No - I fucked other omegas. And betas. And enough alphas  — it’s not about that. It’s your scent. And your voice. And how natural this feels — years after, I kept going back to that one hour we spent together, wondering what happened to you. When you answered the phone — it’s like it all came rushing in. Like I already knew you.”

“That sounds like a load of mumbo jumbo you’ve fed yourself over a long period of time.” Seongwoo leans back on the seat. “It's just psychological. You're a stubborn piece of shit, and you already convinced yourself it has to be me. The rest is coincidence, and you’re taking it out proportion. I actually read so much about it; the way you pick mates is based on some brain chemistry thing."  
"Well, then. My brain chemistry wants you."   
"It'll want any other omega, too. If you spend some time with them—”

"Alright, then how about this? You're speeding away into a place where literally nobody can hear you scream or save you, with a _murderer_ , fully knowing of his intentions toward you, and you still dare calling him a piece of shit, to his face - and you’re just…” He glances at him; “chilling there, and admiring the view and playing with the buttons. It’s either you don’t give a fuck about what happens to you, which I’m sure isn’t true - or your own brain chemistry is telling you’re safe with me and this is what you should be doing.”

Seongwoo furrows his eyebrows.

“No — that’s not…” He pauses; “So now you’re implying this is mutual? Becuase it’s not. I didn’t exactly have a choice, did I? And I’m not scared of you. I know it’s hard for your measly alpha brain to comprehend complex information, but not everybody you’ll meet will be scared of you.”

“Right.” Daniel disagrees, smiling again.

Seongwoo looks out of the windows, again, nibbling at his lips — the alpha towers come into view - proud and tall among the slumps at their feet. These are still the smaller one, the ones who haven’t reached the cloudline.

“By the way, not being scared of you doesn’t translate to me having sex with you.”

“Bold claims.”

Seongwoo turns to him fully, just to prove his point; “I’m your mate, right? Fine. I’ll believe you. You could take me, right there on the table, in the omega facility. I was there alone and defenceless and you had all the time in the world. But you didn’t. You know why? Because that brain chemistry thing? That It’s telling you to wait until I want you back. You can force yourself on me, sure — but if I were really your mate, all your instincts would be holding you back.” He turns to him from the traffic, wearing this frown that almost looks cute; “That’s right. You’re going to wait. Wait until I’m _willing_ and _begging_ for it. “

His lips part but nothing comes out, eyebrows furrowed - but he glances at the road when he hears beeping and realizes he’s in wrong lane, and swerves the car quickly, nearly hitting another car.

Seongwoo snorts. “So I doubt we’ll be having sex tonight. Or ever.”

“It’ll happen.” He insists. “It’ll happen when you have your heat, and there won’t be anybody else in the room. Then - you’ll beg.”

Seongwoo opens his bag, rummaging for his bottle of surpressents, just to be cross.

“What is that—?”

He opens the lid and empties it into his mouth. “Suppressants.” He answers with a full mouth of pills.

“Give me that!” They wrestle for the bottle for a moment, until Seongwoo yells; “Car - Daniel — car!” And he gets his hands back on the wheel.

Seongwoo tries to swallow the pills he has in his mouth, but they feel heavy and make his mouth dry, so he spits them out.

Daniel clutches onto the bottle with a quick move and throws it out of the window.

“You do know I have like 7 more bottles in my bag?”

Daniel growls at him, and Seongwoo tries not to smile.

They sit there in silence for the next 20 minutes. The towers grow bigger, the signs more bold and more neon, the road often goes above the clouds, where you can see all the stars, then back down.

It’s when they’re back underneath the smog clouds that Seongwoo finally sees them.

The Ong Group towers.

“Stop the car.”

“What?”

“Stop the car!”

“I can’t stop here - it’s the middle of the road!”

Seongwoo plasters himself to the window, but there’s not much he can do.

“Fine - jesus, hold on…” He swerves to the left, into some station, in one of the nearby towers. The minute he parks, Seongwoo gets out of the car to see it better, despite Daniel calling to him to wait.

There’s around 10 towers  now — maybe even more, Seongwoo can’t be bothered to count. It’s so much bigger than he remembered it. So much brighter. A whole complex with a web of interchanging routes between one tower and another. Some of the towers go up into the clouds, others were shorter, but holograms flutter around each of them, baiting and diverting, calling out to different age groups or advertising some products, displaying market stocks.

One of the holograms has Minhyun’s face along with his father and mother.

He swallows a thick lump in his throat.

“Life is better,” he reads the neon sign above their faces; “With Ong Group.”

It’s only then when his brain finally comprehends that he’s finally out — he’s not in the facility anymore.

His body breaks into sweat, and the tips of his fingers tingle. Everything suddenly feels too big and too much. He never thought he’d get to see it again, the towers and the city  — he never thought he’d get to stand in it again.

Even the air feels different here.

Daniel leans down the banister that Seongwoo didn’t realize he was holding onto for dear life, but doesn’t say anything, just offers him an opened glass bottle.

Seongwoo glances at him - and realizes that he lost track of time from the moment he got out of car. He wasn’t even aware of him. Or the car. Or anything at all. His mind just went blank.

He takes a sip out of the bottle. It burns his throat; “What the fuck is this?”

Daniel chuckles; “Truck drivers stop here during shipments for a breather. I don’t think it has an actual name. Car station wine.”

“So they added actual gasoline to it to suit the atmosphere?” Despite it, Seongwoo takes another long swing out of it.

God, it’s revolting.

“You haven’t tasted the food yet.”

“Why? What are they selling?” Seongwoo looks back, and locates the little store. “I want to try.”

“Maybe you should hold on with the food poisoning for at least another week.”

“I want to try everything, right now.” He admits, despite himself; “What is it? Tar covered squirrels? Cabbage and nitro?”

He’s smiling; “Well, it’s called ‘meat’.”

“Just meat?”

“Just _meat_.”

“Mystery meat! It's always my favorite in the omega facility. It could be pork, but it could also be human flesh. And you never get to find out which one is it! That's the beauty of it." Seongwoo takes another sip, scrunching his nose; "Two more sips, and we’re having a double portion of that." 

"It's good that you're not picky with your food. Shows character. Good for raising unspoiled children." He flashes him with a grin.

"Can you actually be any more arrogant asshole?" He says, disgusted.

"Well - yeah, actually. This is me in a good mood." 

"Great. So much to look forward to." 

 They just stand there for another minute or so -- looking at the city.

“Dangerous to build all your towers in one cluster, is it not? Would be unfortunate to see it… all go… _kaboom_.”

Seongwoo stands straighter, and snorts; "The way my family sees it; there is nothing that can really threaten them here in their city. They are on top of the food chain, so they have nothing to fear. That’s the way it was for ages."

“It’s about time things change around here.” He clinks his bottle with Seongwoo’s; “Welcome back to the city, Ong Seongwoo.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actually, the last bit was also in my dream, but it was further away in the dream. I sat down and planned a few things yesterday about the plot - so it seemed more fitting here.  
> It's actually why the thread's gif is that specific gif, it's because I vividly saw them both just standing there , overlooking a futuristic city!  
> And now you know!  
> 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it - the next couple of chapters are going to be Daniel's pov... and he will be dealing with a lot. Specifically brattiness. A **LOT** of brattiness. Like an intergalactic amount of brattiness. lol *winks at you like 5 times*


	11. Daniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :> I kinda lowkey maybe divided this chapter into two lol because I still wanted to post today - it's just like life is against me, and wouldn't want me to work on my fics, lately. I do apologize for the delay. I'll try to have another update ready before the end of the weekend!

It’s somewhere past midnight, when they finally arrive.

He’s not budging - but then again, Daniel would’ve been slightly disappointed if he did.

He’s clearly nervous, though; his stance is guarded, his eyebrows furrowed, and his back tense, like somebody’s going to jump him the minute he’ll enter. He keeps the bag to his chest, and wears the omega viel, which - he reminds to Daniel, like, three times - he intends to wear for the next month, until his return to the facility.

Fat fucking chance that happens.

In the case they won’t have sex until next month, he’ll just burn the entire facility down, so he’ll have nowhere to return to. Brat.

If he’s surprised by the line of beta servants at the door, despite the late hour, he doesn’t show it. Daniel still didn’t get quite used to it, despite it being years - but Seongwoo grew up with this, so perhaps it’s easier for him.

“Welcome back, sir.” The butler bows even deeper. “We prepared a discreet room for your guest.” He avoids saying exactly  

“That’s not what I asked.”

“Sir?”

"I asked to prepare _my_ room for the _guest_ . Not _a_ room. He will be sleeping with me." He takes a long inhale. "Who’s going to take responsibility for this mistake?"

He hears Seongwoo scoffing somewhere behind him.

But before any of them can come clean, somebody speaks from atop the stairs; "I will."

Daniel stiffens.

Of course, he’s here.

He hasn’t heard from him for over three months. Not even a text. Daniel doesn’t remember when was the last time he saw him. Maybe 4 months ago, when they were expected to attend a Gala together. If Daniel heard news of his doings, it was only from Jisung and the TV. But now, he’s here, wearing his sickly expensive robe over his nightwear - like he _lives_ here.

"Or are you going to fire me out of my position, as well?" He urges when Daniel doesn’t say anything.

“What are you doing here?”

He goes down the stairs, slowly, holding onto the railing; “This is my house, too. Or have you forgotten this,” he pauses;  “ _husband_?”

He dismisses the servants with a hand wave. “Please, Sungwoon. Last time you were here, it was still snowing. This is your house as much as a cheap beta brothel.”

“Have you gone mad, Daniel? How dare you talk to me like that? And how dare you…” His eyes dart to Seongwoo, behind him, and Daniel bites down the urge to stand in the line of his view.

It’s not the aspect of Sungwoon seeing Seongwoo that rattles him; it’s the aspect that he’s even looking his way that feels oddly unsettling. “How dare you bring an omega to this house? _Our_ house! Jisung said you went off the rails, but I would not—”

Daniel can’t stop the eye roll.

He knew he didn’t come from his own accord. Of course, Jisung tipped him off, told him all about it, in an attempt to stop him.

“Don’t mind Sungwoon,” He tells Seongwoo, who was exceptionally quiet during the entire exchange. He probably was probably hoping to get sent away; except the one way he’s leaving this house would be over Daniel’s body, and Daniel might be a harder nut to crack. “He’s constantly in rage over something.”

He goes inside, into the main living room, and drops heavily on his the high armchair in the room. He barely ever visits this part of the house. And shows a servant to immediately bring him something to drink.

Seongwoo seems to be hesitating whether to sit or to continue standing. His eyes running around the room under his veil.

Sungwoon closes the door with a bang and crosses his hands. Daniel was never able to squeeze out such emotions out of him, so it’s actually surprising. He looks ready to kill.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Have you lost your head?”

“I’m afraid this doesn’t concern you — and it’s none of your business.”

“Your business is my business - especially when it’s something as public as that. I saw it on the news — but I didn’t think - not even for one second - that it’s true. First you’re caught killing somebody by the police, now the media is preoccupied with you visiting an omega facility for questionable reasons — and now this? You are ruining our good name; the name me and Ji— the name we have worked so hard on.”

A servant comes in, with a glass of wine for Daniel, which he takes off his hands wordlessly; "We don't have a good name. We have a name. A scandal or two wouldn't change a thing.”

Sungwoon glares at him, and the man escapes out of the room quickly.

“Besides, maybe our stock value will raise up. Even though rumours, it’ll be obvious that now we might have an… almost guaranteed heir.”

Daniel isn't sure whose glare is more hateful, Seongwoo's or Sungwoon's.  
He takes a long sip from his wine.

Even underneath his veil, Daniel can see that Seongwoo’s brimming with things he wants to say, but he still holds his tongue, purses his lips together, and continues standing there, like he’s mute.

“You never wanted children before - you never even mentioned it; what is this sudden rush for a heir?”

“I changed my mind.”

He lowers his voice; “Daniel — this is not a part of the plan. You’re going to ruin everything before it even started.”

“That’s the beauty of it, Sungwoon. It all fits in perfectly into the plan. Even better than you think.”

“We need to stick to our strategy. All this ordeal will hold us down—”

“It won’t. If you would just trust me—” Sungwoon snorts, and throws his hands up; “This is going to accelerate the plan by months. It’ll be—”

“I’m standing right here. Stop talking about me like I’m not even in the room.”  

They both turn to Seongwoo.

“So it speaks too.” Sungwoon continues, looking disgruntled; “ _Without_ permission.”

Daniel finishes his wine cup; “That’s nothing. It’s just warming up. Wait until it really opens its mouth.”

“Can I at least can a ‘he’ instead of an ‘it’? I’m not an animal.”

“You’re breeding stock.” Sungwoon tells him; “And nothing more. Know your place, omega.”

“Don’t talk to him like that. He’s not yours to insult or intimidate.”

“What you own, I own. Legally. So - yes, he is. And I will do with him and treat him as I see fit.”

Daniel feels something deep and dark crawling up his throat.

Although he was never on great terms with Sungwoon, relatively-speaking, he got along well enough with him to agree with the plan. Now Daniel feels like this marriage had always been a wrong move, and he should’ve trusted his gut, and nothing more.

He clutches onto his arm, and pulls him to himself; “If you dare lay a hand on him - even briefly - I will make sure you are no longer included in any plan, not mine and not somebody’s.”

“You dare threaten your own husband?” He clutches onto Daniel’s collar; “You better choose your words wisely, Alpha Kang Daniel, because they might be your last—”

“I am tired.” Seongwoo raises his voice when he speaks, and it breaks a little on the last note. He clears his throat; “I had a long day, and I would like to see my room now. You can continue your little pissing contest once I’m safely tucked away in bed.”

 

.

 

By the time Seongwoo is led upstairs, Jaehwan arrives, and he doesn’t look very happy either.

In fact, he looks like he might choke Daniel, so Daniel cautiously avoids meeting his eyes. It's probably more for the fact that he had to ride a normal car and not Daniel's nitro-fueled one, that shortened the journey by hours.  

The room allocated to Seongwoo by the servants - but most likely by Sungwoon - is indeed discreet; it’s located on the northeast wing of the mansion, on a nearly empty floor. The window is small.

The room is further away from Daniel than what he wanted.  

It’s late now, and Sungwoon stormed off somewhere with a door slam, and Daniel would rather him to go to sleep, so they can discuss things more properly tomorrow.

Except the minute the door is opened, Seongwoo makes a small unpleased hum. He goes about it; checking the window, checking the bathroom through the door, then sits down on the bed, making it bounce a little.

“I don’t like this room.” He concludes.

Daniel turns to the beta butler and his assistant; “Yes, of course sir, there is another room in this floor which could be prepared within a few more minutes, we’ll just change the sheets and—”

“Show it to him.” Daniel says, impatient. They go down the hall to the next room.

Jaehwan sighs somewhere behind Daniel and crosses his hands on his chest, but doesn’t say anything, even Daniel knows he has a lot to say.

Seongwoo hums again, and tests the bed. “Yeah, this one won’t do either.”

“What sort of a room would your omega highness like, then?” Daniel can’t help himself.

“Bigger windows. These rooms don’t get any sunlight at all. I need to get my vitamin D from the sun."

Daniel turns to the butler, and he scampers to check the options on his screen. His assistant helps him.

The room with the bigger windows is a no-go, too. He doesn’t even check the bed, this time.

“What's wrong with this one?”

“The windows take the entire wall — They’re too big.”

Daniel tugs the curtains roughly until they're all the way out; “Here, problem solved.”

“Yeah, no, now it feels like jail again. Maybe a room with more open space, and big windows - but not as big as these. Like _semi_ -big.”

“Find him something like that, closer to my room. As close as possible in fact.”

For the lack of better word, the butler just looks _flabbergasted_.

Even Jaehwan’s standing there with his eyebrows raised far into the forehead. It's probably a miracle that Daniel’s putting up with him. He's not known to be very patient. The butler finds a room that fits the description, this time helped by his assistant.

Seongwoo twirls around, inspects the window, then the bed, then makes that little hum again. “There’s no lock on the door. I don’t feel safe if there’s no lock on the door, and your room is too close. There’s no saying what you can do to me in a fit of lust.”

“ _A fit of lust_?” Daniel half-laughs as he says that, not sure if he has it in him to get angry. He should. But there’s something about his mannerism - how he behaves and how he carries himself; everything about him, just makes Daniel’s insides twist and turn with the need to possess and hold. It all feels so familiar, like it already belongs to him. “Take a good look around you, Seongwoo, because this is the temporary room you’ll be staying in, for now, before you move into my room.”

“Hmm… I don’t know about that.” He plops down on the bed and leans down; “Omega heats are first and foremost emotional. And I’ve been on my meds for a long, long, _looong_ time, now. If you want my heat to come faster, you better make _damn_ sure I’m happy and all my needs are satisfied. And I don't like this room. The wallpaper is fucking ugly. Looks like a pattern of duck butts.”

Jaehwan actually bursts into laughter, but when Daniel sharply turns to him, he pretends to cough.

“Sir - if I may?” The assistant suddenly intervenes; “There’s another room, sir. On this floor. With the same large windows — but the walls are dark.”

“That sounds like it would suit me! Let’s go see it.” Seongwoo sounds overly cheerful as he walks out of the room, passing by Daniel without meeting his eyes, knowing full well he’s walking on thin ice.

Bratty little thing he is, smells so good that it makes his head all heady. 

The new room pleases the omega, even though all he says is; “It’ll do. For now.”

“Yes, for now.” Daniel narrows his eyes at him, before turning to the butler; “Now that we have that settled. I want a guard outside the door at all times; make sure they’re bonded, too. Monitor—”

Seongwoo clears his throat, and Daniel turns back to him.

He’s sitting on the bed with his legs crossed, like he already claimed the bed as his own.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Pry tell, what am I forgetting?”

“Well - a room is just a room, but it’s rather stark, don’t you think? I need things.”

“Things?” Daniel tries not to smile; “What sort of _things_ do you need?”

“Well, provide me with a screen for starters. But not something shaddy, I want the one they’re showing on tv - the latest model. That one. Clearly you can afford it. I go on runs every morning, so I must have a proper treadmill. It can’t be cheap - you don’t want me to hurt myself.”

“I’m _this_ close to hurting you myself.”

“I need specialty mattress too. My back is very sensitive.” He continues, ignoring Daniel; “I also don’t like the lightning in the room; very bleak and yellow. Maybe a lamp over here — and over here? Really, what sort of an alpha has such poorly equipped rooms?”

Jaehwan is pressing his lips together.

“You’re not here to remodel the house, Seongwoo.”

“I’m nesting!” He calls out and drops down on the mattress sideways; “I need to be comfortable and safe. So I could have my heat.” He sighs contently, and Daniel isn’t even sure what expression to wear, so he tries to furrow his eyebrows. “Are you just making stuff up as you go, or do you actually plan them?”

“Trust me, when it’ll be planned, you’ll know. Hmmm, you can scratch the specialty mattress off the list, I changed my mind. This would do just fine. See? We can meet halfway.”

“That’s a long way off _half-way_.”

“Don’t forget the lock — it should be installed by tomorrow. Or I’m going to feel _very_ uncomfortable. It’ll set my heat by at least 2 weeks.” He waggles two fingers at him.

Fucking brat.

He turns to the butler and his assistant and squints at them until they both look equally nervous; “You — what’s your name?” He gestures at the assistant.

“Park Woojin, sir.”

“Woojin, you’re assigned to omega babysitting.”

“Hey!” Seongwoo sits up.

“But sir — my duties—”

“Will be assigned to somebody else. You will be allocated with a card, and you’ll buy him whatever his greedy little heart desires. But everything - and I mean everything, Woojin - has to go through me and be reported to me. What he does, where he goes, what he eats. Everything.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll see to it, sir.”

Daniel turns to Seongwoo; "So if I hear about any funny business, I'll make sure you'll be very,  _very_ uncomfortable chained to my bed, in my room." 

Seongwoo's jaw clenches, but he leans back; "Funny business? Me? Why, I would _never_." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate Sungwoon, you guys, he'll warm up to him first.  
> Remember, unlike Daniel, this is his first time meeting an omega... and his opinion of omegas isn't very high, considering he spent his entire life in a society built on the "omegas are dangerous" foundations.


	12. Daniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOL. This gotten -- longer...? Than I thought it would be? So here's another 4k for ya...

Daniel is slightly surprised that Sungwoon joins them for dinner.

He walks in and sits, without saying a single word, like he was invited, and they were waiting for him. Daniel was sure he left by now. He must feel much more challenged by Seongwoo’s arrival to their home, than what Daniel previously assumed.

They eat in tense silence for a few _long_ minutes, glaring at one another across the glass table of their dining room. He doesn’t comment about Seongwoo sitting at the table with them, even though Daniel expects it, since he was livid when he saw Jaehwan sitting at the table with Daniel the first few times.

Sungwoon sips.

Daniel chews.

What exactly did he cooked up in that nasty head of his, again?

Seongwoo sighs, not for the first time, since Daniel called somebody to fetch him out of his room. They didn’t see each other for a few days now; Daniel was hoping to be home early, but he still had business to tend to. Jisung wasn’t having it, and wasn’t above locking him in the room until he finished and tended to everything he needed to finish. Which took him an entire evening.

By the time he had returned home, Seongwoo was already sleeping - or pretending to sleep.

He expected Seongwoo to have sobered up in these few days, so they could have a more civil conversation, but he came down wearing a purple veil, and his hands crossed on his chest, and even had the audacity to say; “What? I’m very busy.”

When Daniel asked him what is it he’s so busy doing in his room by himself, he said it’s not Daniel’s business.

Sticking to his guns, so to say.

He sighs again and Daniel is forced to look at him, finally just to see that he’s not not eating. Just sitting there, arms crossed.

He makes an even more dramatic sigh now that he got Daniel’s eyes on him, loud enough to make Sungwoon stop chewing.

“W-what?” Daniel tries not to laugh; he’s basically screaming for attention, and he’s busy glaring down Sungwoon. “Why aren’t you eating?”

“I’m on a hunger strike. I told Woojin to tell you that in the morning.” He says, looking away from the table. Daniel actually ordered all these foods himself. Usually their table isn’t all that assorted, but he wanted it to be a meal filled with things he quite clearly couldn’t eat every day.

Sungwoon snorts and throws Daniel a sneer when he glances at him, so Daniel decides to ignore him.

“Yeah, Woojin told me that. He also ordered a lot of junk food for you during the day. I wonder where all that food went if not inside your mouth.”

“That was for him. He was hungry, poor chap. Clearly you’re starving your beta servants. The authorities should hear about this.”

“Right.” Daniel continues eating. “Well, unless you taste some of the food right now, you won’t be allowed to order any food to your room. Poor Woojin… he’ll just have to starve.”

“Don’t use dumb terror tactics on me. Just how dumb do you think I am?”

“Not as nearly as dumb as you think I am, apparently. Woojin was scared of texting me the first day, I hardly see him buying himself food on my credit card. Eat.” He shoves the plate closer to him.

Seongwoo picks something up with his fork, making a face at it, then holds his veil above his mouth to sniff it and nibble at it cutely. Once he makes sure it’s good, he picks a few more quickly and stuffs himself until his mouth is full, pressing his lips together as he chews.

It’s hard to look away.

But he’s not the only one whose overly invested in how Seongwoo eats. He slams his fork on the table, and Sungwoon’s eyes dart to him from Seongwoo. His unguarded expression immediately changes to something more blank and he reaches out for his glass of wine.

Daniel glares at him.

Daniel is going to make darn sure to install a lock in Seongwoo’s room, whether he likes it or not.

“I don’t like it. It’s disgusting.” Seongwoo says with full mouth, and shoves another scallop, cheeks . He clearly does - he’s just being cross. These are pretty hard to get, but they are all the rave right now among high alpha dining. They smell amazing, too. But Daniel never really tasted them, and wasn’t going to either. “I want to have what you’re having.”

Daniel looks down; “I’m just having kimchi rice — I’ll order some for you.”

“No, let’s just trade plates.” He’s already moving them before Daniel can even stop him.

He stares at the plate before him.

Great.

Seongwoo’s already filling his mouth with more than he can chew off his plate. Daniel takes a deep breath.

Seongwoo finishes chewing, and waits.

Daniel sips some water.

“Why aren’t _you_ eating?”

Daniel furrows his eyebrows. “Too garlicy for you…?” He’s wearing a smug little smile underneath his veil. He rests his face on the backs of his intertwined hands, elbows on the table, as if he’s awfully interested in what Daniel has to answer.  “Or is it the _shellfish_?”

Does he knows? How? He’s been here for barely a few days. Not enough time to make his own conclusions.

Seongwoo's smile widens.

He knows. He definitely _knows_. But how? Not even Jisung knows about his allergy.

The only people who know were his step mother and Jaehwan.

He glances on the other side of the table. “I’m not hungry anymore.” He says hurriedly.

Sungwoon puts down his cup, interest piqued.

If he were to find out, he won’t hesitate to take the upper hand. Daniel was holding him under his thumb for too long.

“It just now occurred to me… I never really seen you eat shellfish.” Sungwoon mentions.

“That’s because I hate the taste of them.”

“Do you?” He cuts himself a piece out of his own scallop. “That’s the first time I hear about it.”

Daniel is about to reply, but Seongwoo cuts him off; “Well, I heard that some sea products are natural aphrodisiacs.” Seongwoo continues.

“Then you should eat it.” Daniel bites back.

“I already did have some — now it’s your turn, since you’re so adamant on having babies. You don’t want to be the alpha that flopped on impregnating a wee omega from first try, do you?”

“A scallop won’t change that.”

“Don’t be stubborn, come on, now, say ‘ _ah_!’” He raises one on his fork, holding his hand below it, so the sauce won’t fall.

What sort of game is he playing?

Just how much does he want him dead?

Daniel can’t exactly back down, now, either way. If he’ll make too big of a deal out of this, it’ll be obvious. He bites onto it.

Seongwoo juts out his chin and parts his lips in anticipation and only when Daniel finally swallows, he leans back, trying not to laugh.

Is everything a fucking game to him?

Daniel can already feel his throat swelling.

Sungwoon throws his fork into his plate; “I don’t have to tolerate this.” He drags his chair away from the table. “Look at yourself; he’s got you all wrapped up around his little finger.”

Daniel leans back. This is the worst timing possible to have a confrontation. “Stop nagging, Sungwoon. If you don’t want to see it, you’re welcomed to go back to your room.”

“Are you dumb? Have you lost your head over some filthy omega slut? He’s making a fool out of you — he’s making a fool out of us both!”

Daniel sips his water. He needs to compose himself. The trick is not to answer.

“Are you done, Sungwoon?”

“If this ruins what we planned—” He leaves the threat opened, but it makes Daniel’s blood boil even harder.

“You’re going to do what, exactly? Finish him off with one of your little potions? Stop blowing up over every little nonsense.” His voice is a bit high on the last note, there, but it doesn't sound odd. Hopefully.

Sungwoon throws his glass at the wall, and overturns his plate on the floor. It breaks, sending shreds around the room.

He also slams the door after himself.

Daniel sighs, and gets up.  Perhaps a bit too hurriedly than he might have wanted.

“I’ll... ask somebody to clean it up. Finish eating.”

Seongwoo nods, but doesn’t say anything.

The minute he’s out of the room, he clutches onto the wall, and claws at his neck. He feels like there’s no air in his lungs.

He tries to regulate his breathing, but the more he tries, the less air he has.

 

.

 

He stays home the next day.

He’s still a bit bloated. His lips are swollen and redder than usual, and there’s some itchy hives - but he’ll live to see tomorrow. That was far too close to death that he would’ve liked to be in his own house — but he couldn’t risk Sungwoon’s suspicions. Not now. They’re already walking on thin ice, and he’s all riled up about Seongwoo. Thank god, he only took one, and Jaehwan was awake. He wouldn’t be able to find the shot without him.

Back on the streets, shellfish were considered a luxury. Nobody would ever dream of it, nobody would imagine the taste of it, it was almost like it didn't exist — he got lucky with that, because if he would’ve eaten a single shrimp out there, it would be instant death. There would be no help coming. Down below the towers, natural selection works harder than anything else. He found out about this allergy only at 18; his step mother’s birthday. He remembers her whispering to the doctor how it’s his mother’s beta blood that produced such a weak offspring. But years after, Daniel still recalls, that his father, too - wasn’t too fond of shellfish. They were almost never on the table.

It was just a facade.

Like everything else in their society. 

Jaehwan is forced to make a few phone calls and explain that Daniel is out of town for business.

Jisung assumes that he’s busy with the omega, which earns him quite a few angry texts.

He’s not wrong to assume that.

Daniel is, in fact, busy with the omega. But perhaps not in the way Jisung thinks.

He spent the entire morning going through every single soul that entered into the omega’s room, and going over all his purchases.

He got the information from somebody. The fact that Daniel's allergic didn't come to him in a vision. He doesn't have super powers. Someone fed it to him.

Woojin and Jaehwan are the only frequent visitors into his room, but beside them, the beta guard came in a few times, god knows for what. A variety of delivery men and servants, too.

Daniel left new instructions for Woojin; nobody enters the room, beside him or Jaehwan, unless given special permission.

Even Sungwoon was loitering around his room, for a bit - but he didn’t enter.  Just asked the guard a few questions and left.

Maybe he knows, somehow. It wouldn’t be odd, considering his comments last night. Maybe he was hoping to see Daniel just drop dead right in the middle of dinner. He updates Woojin that in the case Sungwoon enters the room, he should be immediately notified.

Woojin answers with “I’ll send you a ‘code red’, sir. Don’t worry.”

Odd kid.

He does the job, though. Eager for approval.

Right now, it’s silent. He hates that he can’t see inside the room. He should install a camera inside when the omega is sleeping. This way he’ll know what he’s doing every second of the day. All he can see is the closed door and the beta guard playing some dumb arcade game on his screen. He probably doesn’t know he’s being watched over.

Daniel returns to the list of purchases, rubbing his temples.

This is going to drive him nuts.

He’s slightly surprised he managed to get so many things in the course of a few days.

Since he got busy, he decided to trust Woojin’s judgment, and stopped looking over it, but Seongwoo clearly needed special attention. He’s far too smart and far too resourceful to be left on his own for so long. Daniel learned that lesson more harshly than he should've.

He locates an item without a description on the list and makes it an excuse to call into the room.

He hears Seongwoo’s loud, exasperated ‘ _Oh my god_ ’ on the other side of the line before Woojin answers.

“Yes, sir.”

“Woojin, what is ‘R-500009’? Says here it’s a machine. It’s ridiculously expensive too.”  

He seems to be hesitating; “Seongwoo wanted it, sir. Urgently. I had to pay an extra fee for it to be delivered quicker from a neighboring city.”

“ —So what exactly is it?”

“It’s… um… a bubble machine.”

“A bubble machine?” Daniel can’t even grasp the concept at first.

“Like… soap bubbles, sir.” Woojin explains, and he sounds slightly terrified himself.

“Did he say what exactly does he need it for…?”

“Well, sir — the way he put it… is, err - he wants his room to be _a magical wonderland_. That’s also why we ordered the fairy lights. And the black _uniform_ horse.”

Daniel rubs his head with the pen. “An actual horse? Where — where exactly are we supposed to put it. Does he want it in his room? Is he aware that these animals shit more than they eat? He’ll be swimming in crap before the morning comes.”

“It’s a stuffed uni _corn_ —!” Seongwoo opposes from a distance. There’s a few rustles and some clutter, and then Seongwoo’s on the line; “Listen, asshole,” Woojin bristles. “It’s a stuffed statue of a horse with one horn. Your childhood must have been even more tragic than I thought if you never heard about unicorns.”

“Well, yes. I grew up on the streets. I didn’t know horses were even a thing. I was sure they were all extinct. Let alone horses with actual horns. What sort of horrible mutations are those?”

“Magical ones! They’re fantasy creatures! They never existed!”

“Then why do you need one?”

“Because it’s expensive!” He calls out, then immediately regrets it; “And also, it makes me feel comfortable, safe and happy. Which is how I have to be. For my heat to come faster.”

Daniel presses his lips together, but the corners of his lips still turn up.

He knows he’s being taken for a fool, and it’s not like he’s buying it - but he has a vague idea that Seongwoo knows he’s not that dumb, too. He just enjoys testing Daniel’s boundaries and seeing how far he can go.

Apparently, much further than Daniel would like him to go; the guy tried to kill him yesterday, and now he’s amused with him again. There must be something wrong with him after all.

“Horses turn you on. Noted. So what exactly do you need a bubble machine for?”

“I want there to be bubbles when you deflower me. Ambiance is important.Now, if you’re quite done — stop calling every 10 minutes. You’ve been bothering Woojin for an entire morning, and we’re doing stuff.”

He hangs up.

Daniel nibbles at his lip, looking at the camera situated beside his room.

He calls Woojin again, and hears Seongwoo groaning loudly.

“Yes, sir.”

“What are you two doing, exactly?”

“Not much, sir.”

“What sort of _stuff_ are you doing in there, Woojin?”

“He wanted to play a game, sir.”

“What sort of game?”

“He brought it from the facility. He says that’s what they do there to pass the time.”

“An omega game?”

“Yes.”

Daniel tries to imagine what they’re doing in the omega facilities in their free time, and the only thing he can imagine is finger painting while naked and having orgies. “Is it a sexual game?”

“No, sir!” Woojin almost screams. “It’s not!”

“Yes, it is! Come and see for yourself!” Seongwoo calls out.

“It’s not! It’s really not! It’s a card game!”

“What else did he bring from the facility?”

“Sir?”

Daniel hesitates for a moment, then clears his throat; “He brought a whole bag of stuff, didn’t he? Has he already emptied it?”

Woojin hesitates answering for a long moment; “No, sir. It’s beside his bed.”

Of course, he didn’t. He thinks he’s leaving in a week or so. That’s why he’s misbehaving, expecting Daniel to get tired and impatient and shuck him back wherever he came from.

“Open the door, and empty it on the floor in the hallway. I want to see all the contents.”

“Sir — Seongwoo doesn’t like when people touch it, he even told the maids not to—”

“Do it.” Daniel uses a harsher tone.

He hears Seongwoo protesting, trying to wrestle it out of Woojin’s hands, Woojin tells him he’ll lose his job, so he eventually lets it go.

Daniel watches the doors opening on his stationary screen; how the guard springs up into standing. Woojin’s face expression looks terribly troubled, too, as he holds the bag, and shakes it, making the contents fall onto the floor.

There’s some clothes. Silverware and small statues, undoubtedly taken so he could sell it later.  Emergency protein boxes. 5 more bottles of suppressants.

He wasn’t lying about having more. Daniel should’ve been more attentive. Didn’t the omega facilities control their intake? Maybe he stole some.

Seongwoo’s face appears at the door, unveiled and angry.

He looks left. Right. Left again, narrowing his eyes into the hallway.

Then he looks up, and locates the camera. 

There’s no audio, but Daniel can read by his lips what colorful words he’s calling him. Both Woojin and the Beta guard cringe at the sound of it, too.

He chuckles, before calling the butler.

Three maids go into the room, and make sure not to leave a single empty space unchecked. They find 4 more bottles he hid about the room.

Of course he wasn’t worried about his heat — he had enough suppressants to get him through a nuclear winter.

Daniel orders a camera to be installed in the room. It’s gotten much more cluttered than last time it’s been in it.

Mostly in useless lamps and weird plants. Seongwoo is standing there, jaw square, lips thin, face red, and hands crossed, as the maids work into settling everything back into place, probably more neatly than it was before. 

The minute they walk out, he grabs onto Woojin’s screen and starts pressing buttons. Woojin walks after him, saying something.

Daniel answers the phone call.

“Listen real close, you controlling piece of _shit_.” He says into the camera installed in his room, right above his the small dresser. “Just because I’m an omega doesn’t mean I don’t deserve basic human rights. I deserve some privacy in my own room. You already installed a camera right outside—”

“You don’t - actually. I _have_ your rights. At the click of my fingers, I can have it ordered that you are stripped down to your bare ass and stand naked right in the middle of my room. And if I am in the mood for it, I’ll have you dancing with a little tutu, because I _own_ you, Seongwoo.”

He’s rolling his eyes so hard at the camera, his eyelids are shaking.

Daniel shakes his head. He really has no fear in him - not even a little.

“Keep on barking. You’re all talk anyway. I have yet to see any of your threats in action.”

“Would you want to?”

“You’re just jerking off to the fact that I treat you like the dumb asshole you are. Because that really gets you going, doesn’t it? Finally comes along somebody that doesn’t submit on sight! What a miracle! I must be the most thrilling thing that ever happened during your miserable existence so your gigantic alpha dick is twitching violently in your pants in excitement.” He moves about the room for a moment and paints something on his own screen, before finally raising it at the camera. Daniel barks out a laugh. He painted a penis with hairy balls. The penis for some reason has a smiley face on it, and even eyelashes on it’s beady eyes. Woojin actually throws his hands and turns around, putting his hands on his ears as if that would somehow make the situation go away. “ _Oh boy, I can’t wait to put that insolent omega in his place!_ ” He's talking in a squeaky voice and shakes the screen, and Daniel’s eyes widen when he realizes he’s trying to dub his dick; _“Surely he’ll regret everything he said to me once he’ll have a taste from me, Daniel junior! He’ll just throw himself at my legs at the sight of my majestic size!_ Well, guess what, bud? If this thing ever comes close to me…!” He pulls in a set of dentures into the frame (the canine tooth even has three black dots on it, to symbolize it's Seongwoo's moles, in case that wasn't even clear enough) and then cuts off half of the dick and draws it sideways, like it’s broken off. This time he paints a sad smiley on the dick’s head.

“Thank you for the infographic,” Daniel tries to contain himself. “Very educational.”

“I can hear you trying really hard not to laugh, you bastard. Let’s see how funny it will be once I’ll bite off your dick. Let me go back to my god damn facility, already!” The last part comes out in a bit of a whine.

“Well, since you’re so sure the reason you’re here is because you’re the best thing since sliced bread — _submit_. It’s that easy. Make yourself as boring and as predictable as possible, so I get bored of you. Once I lose interest, I’ll throw you back into the facility.”

Seongwoo furrows his eyebrows in confusion; what Daniel said makes sudden sense to him, but it never occurred to him before. But then, his face turns even more spiteful, as if Daniel somehow suggested the unthinkable.

“I’ll give you boring.” His voice turns low, and he hangs up, looks super close into the camera, and jerks his eyebrows up once, before clutching onto the camera and breaking it.

Daniel sighs in frustration, then drums his fingers on the desk a little and throws his head back.

He can’t be left without supervision in his room - Woojin really tries his best at his new job, but he's not nearly enough to control him or any better than an actual camera.

Daniel calls the butler again, and orders another camera into the room. Installed in a less accessible place, this time with a mic, too. It wouldn’t hurt to have some ears inside the room.

Seongwoo’s pacing around the room when it’s finally connected. Woojin is trying to calm him down. Daniel can’t really see much besides the body of the servant whose connecting the camera into place.

When the audio finally reconnects, there’s nothing but static for a bit, and then finally voices.

“Hyung, please… you’ll make me lose my job.”

“He won’t fire you—”

“You don’t know how he’s like. I worked here for 3 years; one mistake, and you’re out. He makes sure everybody know that, and everybody take responsibility, otherwise everybody get punished collectively on their salary. Alpha Kang Daniel doesn’t tolerates mistakes. That’s the condition of working in the mansion.”

“He must be inside the mansion, I'll find him and give him a piece of my mind—”

“No -- Hyung. No. He’s out of town for business. You're not supposed to leave your room. _Please_. ” Woojin bows down to the man that installed the camera.

Seongwoo waits until the door is closed. Then drags one of the chairs to the camera corner, and stands on it to reach the camera. “No, he’s home.” When it doesn’t budge out of its place, he curses, and goes down, taking a decorative paperweight that was in the room prior to his stay. He juggles the stone ball a few times from one hand to another, testing it’s strength and weight, before climbing back up. “If he were somewhere, there would be noises in the background. Somebody talking. Cars. Anything. It's too quiet when he called. And he wouldn’t have so much free time to spy on every little thing I do. He’s home.” He stares at the camera for a moment, then says; “Do you hear that, asshole? I’m going to find you and make you eat this camera."

“Fat chance you’re leaving your room.” Daniel says, forgetting the fact that Seongwoo can’t actually hear him.

He breaks the camera with the paperweight, though.

Daniel grunts, and turns back to the camera outside his room. 

Nothing is happening for long minutes, and for a moment, he actually thinks that Woojin managed to make him give up and calm down. Then the door is opened, and Seongwoo is pointing inside, shaking his hands and gesturing wildly, like something's wrong.

Daniel leans closer to the screen. Did something happen?

The guard furrows his eyebrows, looking inside, nods, and runs in.

Seongwoo waits, raising his chin a little, then closes the door and locks it, while smirking at the camera, before fitting in his short lace veil headband over his head. He walks out of sight, and the only thing seen on the camera is the door rattling behind him.

Fucking unbelievable. Not much surprises Daniel these days; not after he grew up in the streets and seen pretty much every horror this wretched world had to offer — but this guy? This guy just renders him speechless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :>  
> Hope you're liking it this far... lol more is coming! :>


	13. Daniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so... first of all; I'm really sorry for the super late update. You guys don't deserve that. :(  
> The last 24 hours have been a bit nerve wrecking and I didn't want to disrespect the people who are hurting by posting this, either?  
> And then I had to babysit, and then I had to come to work and lemme tell you... work was shit lol 
> 
>  
> 
> But here it finally is! xD lol  
> Hope you enjoy it!

Daniel loses sight of him in the cameras around the halls, though he’s not surprised.

Now that he knows there’s cameras, he’d be sure to avoid them.

He’s smart like that.

He actually could’ve escaped the past few days, but he didn’t.

He _knows_ he’s better off here, in the mansion, than on the street.

It’s been hours since he was last seen, but Daniel is sure Seongwoo is still inside the mansion, despite what his security detail keeps insisting. All his stuff are still in the room. He won’t risk escaping without a plan. He thinks ahead.

Either Way, it doesn’t matter much. He will either be found, or he’ll find Daniel, even though Daniel doubts it. His study chambers are large and pretty far away from the bedrooms, on a quiet floor in the west wing. It's password controlled, and only Jaehwan knows the password. Daniel likes it as undisturbed as possible.  
The entire household is looking for him. They’ll find him.

He would’ve gone looking for him, on his own (and he probably would’ve found him by scent alone - Seongwoo’s scent is sweet and heady, oddly specific and sensual, the kind that would turn heads down a busy street) but he’s still feeling weak, and there’s no reason for his servants will see him in this state, either. His lips are definitely less swollen than this morning, but the hives will stay for days- he'll stay hidden until most of the hives can be covered. 

 

It’s late evening when he finally shows up.

Daniel can actually smell him before he even comes in.

He looks up from a file he was reviewing for Jisung, and takes a long inhale, but doesn’t say anything.

Seongwoo opens the door quietly, through the small room at the back where he slept in; he must have been using the passageways between the walls.

Considering he grew up in a mansion as big as this, Daniel realizes he should’ve thought of that too; his own mansion must have had these too. Some servants don’t even know about them, even though they’ve been living here for years.

He waits, just to see what he’d do.

He’s with his back to him, vulnerable and weak, unaware of his presence. Now would be the perfect time to stick a knife in his neck.

He doesn’t do that - he doesn’t do anything for what seems to be the longest time, and Daniel can feel the hairs on his nape stand and every fiber in his body tense up.

Seongwoo lets the Newton’s cradle located on Daniel’s desk go off.

“Took you awhile.” Daniel observes, finally but doesn’t turn around yet.

“Yeah, I went exploring. Nice place you have here, asshole. Who designed it? Got more holes in than swiss cheese.”

“There’s always more than one way to leave a room. I like that.” Daniel sits back in the armchair heavily.

Seongwoo’s looking through the pictures on the walls, and hums.

“So what got your panties in a twist today, huh? Is it your alpha time of the month or did you just fall out of bed and decided to take it out on me?” He wonders about the room, touching some glass figurines, and putting his hand through the screen projected on the wall until his hands scatter the hologram’s pixels around.

“I could say the same thing about your mood changing — I was sure I was going to get my ass “ _handed to me_ ", what happened with that?”

“My anger subsided. My nanny used to say ‘Revenge is better served Cold’, anyway.”

Daniel grips onto the arms of the chair he’s sitting on. It's hard for him to control the reaction on his face, but Seongwoo doesn't even spares him a glance. “Is that so? So what are you planning to do now?”

“I haven’t decided yet. I’ll think of something, don’t worry.” He stares inside the large aquarium installed in the room.  The fluorescent blue lights invade through the lacy veil on his face, and create patterns on his face. He taps the glass, as if attempting to lure out the fish closer to it.

Daniel inhales, and looks back at his screen.

“So what do you do here for fun?” Seongwoo says, after awhile. “I mean, you know — beside spreading fear and supremacy around the house, and terrorizing the omega.”

“That’s actually my idea of fun.”

“Makes sense.” Seongwoo sighs dramatically, and finally looks away from the tank, and makes his way toward the chair in front of the desk.

“What’s the omega idea of fun?”

“We masturbate in a group to see who comes faster.”

Daniel makes a short, abrupt noise, that was probably supposed to be a snort, but somehow didn’t quite reach there. He settles for a small upturn of lips, and nothing more.

“You’re imagining it, aren’t you?”

“You bet I am.”

“It was a joke. Why do everybody seem to think that all omegas ever do all day is get freaky?”  

“There’s no smoke without a fire.”

“There’s no broken nose without a punch—” His face contorts all of the sudden, and he lifts his veil; “What’s wrong with your face?”

Daniel leans back; “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know — it’s all… bloated and shit — and I didn’t even get to punch you yet,” his eyes trail down, on his neck, on his hands. He’s silent for a moment before he takes off his veil off his face; “Is it terminal? Is that why you’re so adamant about having a child?”

Is he fucking serious?

Playing stupid now?

“What sort of disease is it, exactly?” He continues, leaning down the table, to examine Daniel’s hand closer, but Daniel draws it back.

“That’s how an allergic reaction looks like.”

“Oh,” He perks up, sitting straighter; “One of the omegas in the facility was allergic to everything and I mean _everything_ —  He’d be like ‘we can’t play outside because I’m allergic to grass’ or ‘we can’t sit here because it’s close to the air-conditioning and I’m allergic to the fumes'. He was so annoying. He’d even try to make sure we get the same thing to eat, so he’d be like ‘i’m allergic to that, so you can’t eat it because we’re friends’. Once he turned legal, he found himself a beta mate at his work, and suddenly he wasn’t allergic to anything.” Seongwoo puts his face in his hand and leans his elbow on the table.

“Why are you telling me that? I already know Omegas are manipulative. I don’t need any convincing.”

Seongwoo furrows his eyebrows, drawing back from the table; “What the hell is wrong with you, huh? I’m trying to -” He pauses, shaking his head; “I’m losing my head being cooped up in the room with Woojin. He’s a good kid — but it’s hard for him to sit still for too long, and I’m with him all day, every day, I’m just…! The servants are scared of talking to me and I can’t exactly chat up the guard—”

Daniel grunts; “You’re _not_ here to _chat_ with people. This isn’t some fun field trip you get to experience free off charge before you scurry back to your fellow omegas and tell them all about it. You’re here to serve a purpose.”

Seongwoo’s jaw clenched tightly, and his eyes turn distant; “That’s right, I’m here just to spread my legs wide for you, aren’t I? You know — yesterday, I waited for an hour and a half for you to return to the table. I actually thought - I don’t know what I thought. I don’t get why you even bothered to call me down—”

Daniel springs up and clutches onto his hand to pull him closer; “What sort of game are you playing here, Seongwoo? Playing stupid with me?! Not a good look on you. What did you think is going to happen when I get an allergy attack? I’m lucky to be alive!”

“Why would you—” His expression immediately falls, and it’s such an odd sudden shift; “Shellfish - you’re allergic to shellfish!”

Daniel lets go of him and sits back; “Bravo, Seongwoo. Maybe you should start some online acting classes, to pass the time, if you’re so bored. You’re good at it. Almost got me convinced.” He returns to his screen, unable to look at him anymore.

Somehow the fact that he’s even pulling such a performance for him annoys him.

“What?”

“You knew about my allergy, Seongwoo. I’m that dumb—”

“No — _No_ . I didn’t. I thought you hated shellfish! I was told you _hate_ shellfish, not that you’re…  not that you’re allergic… I didn’t think - why didn’t you stop me?”

“I couldn’t exactly do that with Sungwoon being right there—” Daniel looks up, sharply; “Who told you?”

Seongwoo hesitates. There’s name, then.

“Woojin?”

He clicks his tongue; “Please, the kid thinks the sun shines out of your butt. He’s convinced there’s nothing you can’t do. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a shrine in his room dedicated to you. Candles and everything.”

“So who?”

“I don’t think they meant anything-”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

Seongwoo looks away.

Fine, then.

Daniel returns to his screen, even though he’s not actually doing anything. He’s just considering his options. Reorganizing his thoughts. It would’ve been easier if Seongwoo was just acting like a child, because children can be taught better. If he truly didn’t know - it complicates things, and it also means there’s somebody out there trying to use Seongwoo to get to Daniel, somebody who knows he’s a weak spot.

His step mother?

“I’m sorry.”

Daniel looks up to his face. Seongwoo’s face is swimming with emotion. His eyebrows are furrowed like he’s angry, but his lips are down-turned like he’s sad. He’s looking into his eyes with an ease — and he looks sincere. Somehow he didn’t expect that. Perhaps because he’s not used to hear it. If his betas make mistakes - they get fired, so there’s no apologies involved. Alphas never apologize. It’s just not something Alphas do.

But Seongwoo apologizes, and Daniel believes him, even though he shouldn’t.

“I won’t excuse myself. I’ve been to this world - I know how it works, when you can’t trust anybody around you, when everybody are pushing their agendas… and I’m… sorry I fall for somebody’s agenda too. I’ll try to be more careful. I still don’t think that person meant any harm. Maybe he didn’t know. I'll ask... where he got that information from - as an apology. I don't want anybody to die." 

It’s a he, then.

“Alright.” He accepts.

Seongwoo nods and swallows thickly, before finally looking down and around the room; “Well - I’ll be going now. You have fun. Doing Alpha things.” He gets up, and almost reaches the door when Daniel says; “Hold it. Where do you think you’re going?”

“Out.”

“Out where? Return to your room.”

Seongwoo makes a face; “I think today proved that if I wanted to escape, I would’ve. But I didn’t.”

“That still doesn’t mean shit. Go back to your room.”

He shrugs his shoulders a few times, like a child.

Daniel furrows his eyebrows; “I don’t think I’ve been clear enough, so I’ll be clear now, I want eyes on you 24/7 — and if it’s not my eyes, it’s Woojin’s or Jaehwan’s. You need supervision. How did you even get the guard into your room without raising suspicion?”

“I knocked out Woojin.”

Daniel narrows his eyes.

“Okay fine — he might have… agreed to get knocked out. He even hit himself with a statue, so it’ll look believable. He actually did it before I ever told him to. But I promise him I won’t escape and return until evening.”

“It’s evening.”

“But I found you, didn’t I? You should… errr… call him or something.” Daniel is about to insist, or call the guard to take him, when he says; “Want to come with me?”

“What?”

“Wait — can you walk?”

“I can walk…” Daniel insists; “I’m feeling fine. Just…” The word _weak_ is left unsaid.

“I’ll show you something cool. It’s pretty close. Come on.” He leaves the door of the bedroom opened. And for a moment Daniel shakes his head in anger and decides to just call security to find him and lock him back in his room — but then he wears his sweater on his pajamas and follows him out through the small room, and into the opened compartment in the bedroom.

“You want to show me something cool? In my own house?”

“I’m pretty sure you haven’t been in _all_ the rooms and _all_ the hidden hallways, yet. You probably waved your hand when the designer was explaining about it, and threw money at his face, and focused to make sure only certain areas are perfect. We actually studied this in time management at school. To know what to focus on - remember?” He disappears inside.

It’s colder between the walls, simply because there’s no proper heating, and they are above the clouds. The air is musty and smells odd. He goes down the stairs, seeing there’s no other direction to head to, he reaches a crossroad of passageways, and Seongwoo was right; some of these seem to go on forever.

Seongwoo appears in one of them; “It’s close by. Keep up.”

“It better be.” Daniel sighs, looking through a series of closed off windows, some nailed, some just darkened. “What is it?”

“You’ll see.” He hesitates between two halls, then decides on one.  They reach into a narrower passage, and Daniel steps on a sticky layer of black plastic on the floor.

“Oh, he already removed the mask. Damn it.” Seongwoo’s looking toward the wall, and when Daniel looks at it, he jolts in alert.

It’s Sungwoon.

In his room.

The full wall mirror is double-sided, apparently, if the black layer is removed.

He’s applying another cream on his face.

“He’s been doing this for over hours. I got lost for a bit, and went through this place 3 times, and he still doing it.”

Daniel cringes at the volume of his voice, but Sungwoon doesn’t hear them, just continues apply another mask to his face. It’s green in color.

He comes closer to him and leans by, but Sungwoon doesn’t see him.

If he knew about this place earlier…

It’s not exactly his room — rather, just his cosmetic dresser, where he keeps all the products he applies on himself.

“Skin condition?”

“He’s obsessed with keeping his skin fair.” Daniel snorts and takes a step back.

“Yeah — but isn’t this too much? Isn’t he your age?”

“He’s was always into chemistry and concoction of all kinds, but now everybody been saying he’s nearing his thirties, so he’s gotten rabid. His ritual before bed can take over two hours…”

Somehow, this feels more invasive than what Daniel imagined.

Sungwoon doesn’t know they’re here.

He goes about his things, fluttering his fingers between his bottles as he decides what to use next.  Although they’re not on good terms, and he knows Sungwoon would’ve used it if he knew something like that existed in Daniel’s room, it still feels like trespassing. It’s not right.

Daniel will order some staff to put a more solid wall here.

“Want to mess with him for a bit?”

Daniel turns to him. 

"Freak him out?”

Seongwoo licks his lips, eyes glinting in the dim lighting that’s illuminated from Sungwoon’s room, and taps the mirror.

At first Sungwoon doesn’t notice it, but on the third try, his eyebrows furrow and he looks closer on the mirror.

Seongwoo presses his whole hand to the mirror.

Sungwoon falls back on his chair, eyes wide.

“I did it back before too. I think he called somebody and told them there's a ghost in his room.” Seongwoo laughs.

Sungwoon’s expression soon changes, and gets replaced by something more determined. He walks out of the room after fisting his palms.

“Pussy!” Seongwoo calls out after him; “Look who’s afraid of the _filthy omega slut_?!”

“I doubt he’s scared. Sungwoon’s more—”

Sungwoon returns to the room with an axe.

“Oh, s-shit!” Seongwoo bursts into surprised laughter.

Daniel stands there a bit stupefied and unaware, when Sungwoon just casually swings it right at the mirror. It cracks, but doesn’t break.

Seongwoo grabs onto his wrist, and runs, cracking up as he does.

Daniel hears the glass finally caving and breaking, behind them, somewhere.

Only when they’re out of breathe, pushing a trap door closed together, does Daniel finally laughs. When it finally shuts in heavily, spreading a layer of dust everywhere, Daniel slides down to the floor, while leaning on it, and snorts, shaking his head. “This must have been the stupidest thing I’ve done in the last 5 years.”

And it’s true; never did he think he’d get chased down by his own husband with an axe.

Seongwoo’s leaning his hands on his knees and breathing hard. His cheeks are rosy. At some point there, despite being weak and slightly disoriented, Daniel had to take the lead, because Seongwoo just ran out of steam while running.

“The stupidest thing you’ve done in the past five years,” Seongwoo pauses for  a large gulp of air; “Is me.” He smiles.

Daniel doesn’t think for a moment; he’s not sure if it’s just the hormones mixed with the smell of Seongwoo, or because the oxygen didn’t get to his brain, but when Seongwoo finally looks around the room, standing up straighter, it all comes tumbling back into his head.

“I didn’t _do_ you yet, technically.” He smirks when Seongwoo hits him on the arm. “But finally some acknowledgement—”

“Shut up.” He cuts him off then listens to the door, before opening it and looking both sides. “Do you think we’re a long way off your room?”

Daniel stands up. “I can’t get out like this… The servants can’t see me in this condition. And I have no idea where we are. We have to go back to my study.”

Seongwoo rubs his head for a moment; “Yeah, about that… You know how I said I was lost and wondered around? I _am_ actually lost. I don’t even know how to get back to my own room. I found your room by complete and utter accident. It suddenly smelled like you, so I followed the scent.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Daniel finds himself laughing again, placing a hand on his forehead; “Unbelievable.”

They change clothes, and decide to take the elevator, like civil people.

Seongwoo was wearing a dark hoodie, and although it’s a bit tight on him with his pajama on, he could at least hide his neck and a part of his face. They don’t actually meet anybody. The servants are using their own elevators.

Daniel still needs to finish a few things, even though he feels exhausted, but Seongwoo refuses going back to his room, and watches something on the screen in the room beside his, the one Daniel slept in.  

When he’s finished, he sits there, listening to the sounds on the other side of the door - it's opened to a slit. There's just the alpha news. Seongwoo's smells of contentment and sweat, warmth, comfort. He opens the door as quietly as possible to confirm it — Seongwoo’s asleep, still in his sweater.

He never realized how little self-control he has to hold on to; because the minute he smells it -  his own scent mixed with Seongwoo’s sweet fragrance - he feels it in his _fingertips_. 

It’s almost like somebody’s standing right behind him chanting ‘ _mine mine mine mine mine_ ’ right into his ear, and yes, _his_ , he can smell it now, he can feel it, how right Seongwoo is, deep in his bones, deep in his flesh.

He needs to tear his entire his gaze away before he can think a single clear thought, and the first one he has is that yes, Seongwoo is indeed the stupidest decision he made, but no part of him - not even the logical one - regrets it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so… I guess I can openly talk about it now lololololol  
> As someeeee of you know if you were following my cc, yeah, the part where ong finds out that Daniel’s allergic was a part of the original chap 12 - but I edited it out for copious reasons (but mostly because I wanted to stick to the 4k max limit per chapter, and I wanted to rush it out and post it on the night of sunday). Clearly that was a bad decision to make lol because a lot of you have… really… errr… got mixed opinions about ong? I’m not blaming anybody beside myself for that, should’ve just released it all together, to avoid confusion lol! I guess I just thought people would give him the benefit of the doubt? Esp coz it’s Daniel’s pov.  
> I mean, Ong is indeed a sheltered and troubled person, and I may not be a professional author that can bring out consistent voice and tone to character, but I did try to make this obvious from the start; Ong doesn’t want anybody to die. Not even the person who had nearly raped him. He wanted to report him to the authorities. Daniel made the decision to kill the teacher for him. I don’t think it’s far to say that as an adult, he’d be trying to poison people fully knowing they’re allergic to something?  
> With that being said; I think I need to put more emphasis on world-building, because I feel like a lot of my points are missed, but there's just... so much I want to focus on! The point of the fic is that Daniel lives in the world, where the only person he can truly trust not to kill him - is Jaehwan. He gets various assassination attacks on him per month (which I mentioned). He can’t even trust his own husband, because his husband and he share an alliance based only on usefulness, and nothing more. Once Daniel’s usefulness depletes, he’d remove him to gain access to his funds and company, and marry with a “lower class” alpha that can be put under his thumb. That’s how Alpha marriages — and the alpha society— works. It’s like a game of chess, but… more like the one from harry potter. One wrong move, and you’re dead. So yeah, one more person trying to kill him isn’t exactly him dealing with a new breed of people and making exceptions for Ong. Everybody are trying to kill him, but some of those people might be useful for his agenda, so he keeps them alive. What’s different about Ong is that he’s witty, and he doesn’t give in quickly - others may try to kick him when he’s down, but they bend when he uses force. Seongwoo doesn’t. Seongwoo makes him feel most 'himself' he felt in a long time... Because he just fits with him; both biologically and mentally. 
> 
> I just want you guys to know that I've really put a lot of thought into this story and poured my heart into planning and making sure it's exactly the way it is, and I hope you can bear through my incompetence a bit longer! I’ll try to do better and be a more thorough, accurate and inclusive writer from now on! :>
> 
>  
> 
> SORRY FOR THE EXTREMELY LONG EXPLANATION, but I saw a lot of people being bitter/upset/sensitive about this on twitter/the comment section...!


	14. Daniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really really really sorry for the super long hiatus.  
> I know it's not fair. I take full responsibility. :( It's just that I had a mild episode of depression, sickness, workload, another fic to finish asap -- and then my internet just died because of construction work --AND THEN AO3 DIED ON ME JUST NOWWWW -- IT'S LIKE THE WORLD WAS AGAINST ME.  
> BUT I PREVAILED!
> 
> CHAPTER DEDICATED TO PEACHYMINTY: Chloe - if you didn't tell me how to fix this, I would've never figured it out, I tried literally everything else, including letting somebody else post it! xD THANK YOU SO MUCH DUDE!

Jaehwan walks into the room, and squints.

“You look worse to wear.”

“Stayed up all night.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

“Why because?”

Daniel clicks his tongue; “Seongwoo wanted to go up to the rooftop and see the dawn. Stupidest idea ever. I don’t know why I went along with it. It was freezing, and —” Jaehwan is making a knowing face at him. “He finally agreed to go to his room.” Daniel says, tapping on the screen furiously.

He’s in a bad mood, because his weird little allergy-vacation is over. He can no longer excuse his hives or redness or swollen lips for absence, the way he did for the last four days. Actually, he was fine yesterday, but Seongwoo said he still has some hives on his back. Daniel didn’t check. Maybe he did. Maybe he didn’t.

He’ll have to man up and go to work tomorrow, especially now that he’s looking at the workload that piled up during his absence, new problems to deal with. People can’t keep themselves in check if he’s not around, and if there’s something Daniel can’t tolerate, it’s incompetence.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” He says hurriedly, without looking at him. “Sorry — there’s some issues with the company.”

“You’ve been absent for a long time. Very unusual for you. The people aren’t used to it.” Jaehwan agrees, and for a moment Daniel thinks that’s it, but then he says; “I - uh… came here a few times, and you weren’t here…”

Daniel glances at him.  “Yeah, I was with Seongwoo.”

“I saw you call off the search, so I figured. You two…?” He waggled his eyebrows at him. When Daniel doesn’t answer, he decided to elaborate; “You know, did _the do_?”

Daniel makes a face.

Jaehwan tucks his screen under his armpit, so he could gesture a finger getting into a hole. “Bam-bam in the ham?” He elaborates.

“ _No_.” Daniel says, going back to his screen, but not resuming writing.

“What do you mean _no_ ?” Jaehwan sits down. “What the hell did you do together for _four_ whole days?”

Nothing particular, now that Daniel thinks of it, but at the same time — so much.

Daniel got to experience his own mansion from a different perspective. One that he couldn't help to enjoy. Sneaking off with Seongwoo around the corridors behind the walls, stealing food out of the pentry. That jolt down his spine every time they almost got caught. The anxious feeling on sneaking past right behind somebody’s back. Watching his servants from sneak holes, like portrait eyes, or double mirrors. Enjoying places he would have never discovered otherwise.

He kept excusing it on mapping the secret hallways on his screen. It might come in handy. But the truth is, if it wasn’t for Seongwoo -  he would’ve just stayed in his room, by his screen. Barking commands, and anxiously refreshing the feed for new emails and texts.

That’s why it felt a little bit like getting cold water thrown at his face — returning back to reality from a adventure felt almost sickening. For a minute he forgot the heavy burden he must carry.

Seongwoo _made_ it go away.

With his nifty little fingers and stealthy little prodding, he got under his skin.

He hadn’t ingested it. Spending so much time with him was… enlightening.

Not all of it were good. They’d bicker and disagree. He’d come up with the most ridiculous arguments just to sound contrary or refuse to listen — and Daniel knew exactly who he sounds like.

The only other person who is this amount of stubborn, immature and rash - is well… _himself_ . Seongwoo’s behaviour felt like a mirror at times - one that was somewhat unpleasant and uncomfortable to watch. How he’d been treating the people around him, how illogical he might have looked like to Jaehwan just because he _wanted_ things. He got used to getting things his way. Seongwoo is the same. So it wasn’t like his personality needed getting used to. Although different than him in so many aspects; he felt familiar. Alike.

But there were other moments too — where Daniel would feel… the most _himself_ he felt in years.

The thrill of making Seongwoo laugh was almost addictive, and Daniel found himself, more than once, playing along or doing something silly just to hear him snickering. Daniel is used to everything being allowed, even if it’s morally wrong or questionable — but sneaking past his servants and staff, felt oddly exciting with Seongwoo, like they were playing an adult version of hide and seek. Seongwoo would tell him about the facility - perhaps not all at once, fragments of information here and there, but it made a clearer image in Daniel’s head over how his life looked like under the dome. How light years away it was from everything Seongwoo was used to.

And that one time, the first time they went up on the they were on the roof.

It was much windier than he expected, freezing too. Daniel held onto his waist, when he walked so he won’t trip. Daniel felt oddly compelled to make sure he’s safe, even though he didn’t trip. They didn’t exactly talk about it.

It’s not like there was something to talk about, but when they went back through the other rooftop entrance, and Daniel removed his hands, there was this long pregnant pause where they just stood there, shaking off the cold, silent and awkward.

Daniel couldn’t help but coming back to that moment, to how small his waist felt underneath his hands.

“... Yah, are you listening?” Jaehwan taps on the table. “He’s actually pretty smart. If you want to make a move, you have to strike the iron while it’s hot. The other day he told me that if you’ll get fond of him, you wouldn’t want to - and I’m quoting here, his words, not mine - _violate his soft omega parts_. I feel like he might be just nervous about you spooking him with the sex thing—”

Daniel snorts. “I wouldn’t worry about that.”

“Why’s that?”

Daniel shakes his head; “He’s probably much better informed than you and me on that specific matter, according to some of the stuff he mentioned about his facility.”

Jaehwan ears perks up, like a dog’s, eyes wide and interested; “What sort of stuff…?”

Before Daniel can even answer, his screen rattles with an incoming call.

He presses on answer before thinking.

“ _‘Nielie~_ ” He makes it sound so nasal, that Daniel cringes. Jaehwan makes a disgusted face and repeats it after him.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?”

He probably wants something. He’d never dare to call him that face to face; “My credit limit is reached.” He complains, voice high and pouty.

He’s baby-talking.

“How? You’ve been here for a week. This takes some serious talent.” Jaehwan compliments.

“Thank you.” Seongwoo says, using his normal voice. “See, Daniel? Appreciation is a key factor in human communication. You’re doing a shit job at winning me over. Maybe you should step aside and make your personal assistant do the job for you.”

Jaehwan looks amused. Daniel furrows his eyebrows at him.

“Anyway, please send money, I need to buy new clothes.”

“You have clothes.”

“Yes, I have two shirts and two pants, and a sweater I stole for you. If I’m going to be an omega of high status, I need other clothes. And new veils. I need lotsa new veils.”

“Why the heck do you need so many veils for? You never wore one twice.”

“Exactly! What would your servants think if they see me with the same veil? That you’re going broke?”

“Buy the pink one with the tiny ice cream pattern!”

“I didn’t like that one. It’s not dark enough. I need to wear dark things to reflect the inner workings of my soul. I am very troubled for being taken out of the facility.”

“Then the blue one with the seashells — Oh! Buy the one with the dicks on it!”

Seongwoo laughs; “I can’t believe you actually checked all the options on that store — I think their veils are a bit too tacky. But I couldn’t find any other sites that had proper omega veils, _marketed_ as omega veils.”

“I’ll find some for you, if you want.” Jaehwan comes to his aid.

“Oh by the way, you should come over, the bubble machine is finally here — Woojin tried to hit them away at first using karate chops.” He lowers his voice. “It’s pretty hilarious.”

“Hold on the line for a sec,” Daniel barks into the screen and taps the mute button aggressively a couple of times until it finally lights up.

“What the fuck, Jaehwan? Are you chatting with him behind my back?”

“I wouldn’t call it behind your back — he just sent me some stuff! I’m just being friendly! He’s pretty cool—”

“Don’t be friendly! And stop encouraging him! This isn’t a vacation, he’s here for —   _bam-bam in the ham_! Not bam-bam Daniel’s money and be friendly with Jaehwan.”

“You know I can still hear you right?” Seongwoo speaks suddenly; “Jesus, you can’t even rhyme - and you want me to have babies with you?”

Daniel makes a face; “Rhyming has nothing to do with making babies, Seongwoo. You should be more concerned about my dick.”

“Well, your dick is going to produce dumb offsprings. Step up your game. And stop excusing your incompetence.” He clears his throat, and uses a softer tone to add; “Bye, Jaehwan. Drop by after I nap.” He hangs up.

Daniel feels like throwing his screen at the wall. He bristles.

“You seem cozier.” Jaehwan jokes.

“Shut up.” Daniel says.

“He’s putting the option on the table. And actually talking about it. That’s good.”

“It’s not an option. He’s coming to terms with his position in this house.”

Jaehwan seems to want to say something, but keeps silent until Daniel finally looks up to see his expression. “It’s just — you do realize you keep contradicting yourself, right? You want to be close with him. I can tell. You keep looking for opportunities. And then the next minute you bark out something like that. You must understand how impossible that makes you sound. And it probably constantly scares him away.”

Daniel considers it for a moment.

“If you actually like him—”

“I can’t control it.  And I hate — _not_ being in control. You know that. My body decided that it wants him, and it affects the way I think, obviously.”

“So why are you resisting it? You have good instincts — and I’m a good people judge, actually. Seongwoo’s—”

“I can’t even trust myself right now — you want me to trust him? Especially after what he pulled? Somebody’s been feeding him about my allergy, and he still didn’t tell me who. Whenever I stir the conversation to it, he just changes the topic.”

Daniel waits for another moment or so, but when Jaehwan doesn’t jumps up to speak, he looks up to his face, to see what got him quiet, and he’s nibbling at his lip. “About that…”

“You know...?”

“I told him.”

At first Daniel is just taken aback, but then outrage comes out like a volcano; “Jaehwan!”

He cringes, shrinking into his seat, and looks down; “I know it was wrong! I never thought he’d actually feed you one — I never thought you'd agree to eat it! I didn’t think Sungwoon would be in the room - I didn’t think… about all the variables. That was stupid. I get that. I’m really sorry, Daniel.”

“I could’ve died!”

“I know. I’m sorry. He asked me for ideas that would drive you insane - that was the only thing I could think of.”

Daniels runs a hand on his face out of frustration — Jaehwan is literally the one person who he trusts not to make an attempt to take his life, is the one that came the farthest, unknowingly. This is why keeping people close was deadly. “Why did you even help him with that?!”

“Because — this whole omega craze! Yes, you can be impulsive, but usually you still apply logic — but this? _This_ has no logic! It’s just one big mess. Even _you_ don’t know what _you’re_ doing. That’s why I was on his side — I thought he should go back the facility, where he belongs and where he’ll be safe. But now…”

“But now…?”

Jaehwan shakes his head; “Now I don’t know what I think.”

The horrible thing is that neither does Daniel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned this to be a longer part, and include a kissue... guess you'll have to wait for the kissue just a tiny bit longer uwu.


	15. Daniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so.  
> The truth is, this chapter was so so hard for me. I have everything outlined and planned, but this little bit was hard. Back before, when I just planned bbb to become a full fledged fic it had onghwang, and this part was supposed to have it, but since I changed it all, it was like a blank spot, which I didn't exactly knew how to fill coz I didn't know how they were suppoused to meet.   
> So... I rewrote this, and made 9 different versions of it. I wasn't happy with either.   
> I'm still not happy with this, but I feel like I need to post it to just put it out there and stop fiddling with it, so I can continue writing! SO HERE IT IS! The longest chapter yet! 9k!   
> (there's still some minhyun tho! uwu)

Daniel is on the shuttle when Seongwoo sends him his first text. 

For some reason, he was positive that Seongwoo wouldn’t dare to start a conversation - especially not when he’s not home. But Seongwoo doesn’t seem to care about that. 

It’s a link to a mesh clothing item. The omega model is posing in a compromising position, but even without the provocative stance, it’s quite obvious that the only thing that article of clothing covers is his crotch area.

“ **What do you think?** ” He texts.

“ **I think a lot of things.** ” He replies.

“ **It’s shocking that your brain is big enough to think about multiple things - but what do you think about the onsie?** ” 

“ **It’s more of a crotch-sie.** ” 

“ **Woojin said I can buy whatever I want. So.** ”

“ **You can buy it, but you can’t wear it.** ”

“ **Why not?** ” 

“ **Because I said so.** ” 

“ **What if I was planning to wear it when you come back from your really long, super important, yet totally unnecessary trip?** ”

“ **Were you?** ”

“ **Nope, I was just starting conversation.”**

Daniel smiles; “ **With a provocative clothing piece?** ” 

“ **I don’t really know what gets your attention.** ” 

“ **That definitely got my attention.** ” 

“ **Mission accomplished!** ” Seongwoo boasts. “ **Oh hey, here is a closeup of Woojin’s nostrils.** **Just in case you get bored on your trip, dude**.” 

Daniel snorts when the picture loads and makes Jisung look up from his screen. He shakes his head disapprovingly. 

The cabin in the shuttle is quiet and steady; the windows are big, and everything’s glaringly white with an electric blue accent. He got mood lightening, for god’s sake. They even opened a good bottle of champagne in his honor. Not every day an alpha of his importance makes his way to another city. Not many alphas leave their city; It leaves them vulnerable to attacks and their towers easier to target.

What’s more shocking is how little bodyguards Daniel took with him on a trip such as this. Daniel likes how rattled other Alphas get when they see it. They seem to think Daniel isn’t afraid of anything. They’re not wrong. 

Jisung doesn’t like it. The lack of security around Daniel. But he worries too much, over everything. 

Now, more than before. 

He’s been obviously upset about Seongwoo. 

He has been from the start. And he’s been vocal about it too, and didn’t mask his sabotaging attempts. He’s overall a good man. 

A good alpha, one that isn’t afraid to bend underneath somebody else, and one that doesn’t let his pride stop him from making hard decisions.

Jisung grew up in an old respectable alpha family that had fallen from power the past decade, because of the new regulations and taxes the Ongs established. Their loyalty to the region became irrelevant when the time called for, because loyalty can be bought. They had to sell their towers and factories. When Jaehwan suggested Jisung, they were on verge of bankruptcy. 

He knew all the ins-and-outs of the industry and although Daniel couldn’t promise him the same riches and respect the Ongs could, he could promise revenge. That was enough for Jisung to take the offer. However, just like every alpha; Jisung was playing his own game - and the court didn’t always aligned with Daniel’s. 

He gets even more upset over the course of the second day, because Daniel has his nose stuck in his screen. If he’s not talking with Seongwoo, he’s waiting for his voice messages and texts. The videos he makes with Woojin, or his photos. 

It looks like he’s always doing something — doing something without  _ him  _ — and Daniel feels oddly left out. 

When he’s texting him on the way from the tower tours - Jisung finally voices it out. 

“You’re embarrassing us both. You look unprofessional, and it makes the other alphas nervous and upset.”

“I didn’t come here to make them happy. I came to buy a tower - which you insisted on.” 

“Market research said this place will be crawling with new industries the next 10 years - it also fits with our plans. If we’re established here, people will turn to look at us. This place has no established old Alpha families beside the Ongs.” 

Daniel looks up from his screen at him, but doesn’t say anything. 

He knows exactly why Jisung felt it’s important for Daniel to come to the new city. 

It was reminder. He was putting Daniel into his place. Showing him exactly where he belongs on the great food chain. Lower than what one would assume. 

Region 886’s city was lost in the floods, some 30 years ago. Most of the alphas that had any wealth to spare relocated to other regions, which left millions of betas and lower tier alphas stranded on an island with no means to survive but to scavenge or die out. 

The Ong Corporation have built a self-sustaining city in under 10 years, filled it with grateful betas and alphas. They have saved their people from complete annihilation, and also gained a large force of laborers that would work night and day as long as food and money was continue to get shipped their way. It’s a feat.    
Comparing this to Kang Industries - Daniel becomes a spec of dust on their shoes. 

Well, perhaps a spec of dust with some attitude. He’ll refuse to come off even when rubbed.

He’s not angry at Jisung for bringing him here, though.

A new tower in an uncharted territory is a good decision. It also gave him some more realistic measurement of how big the scale is. There’s a lot more to aspire to, and a long way ahead of him. 

But Daniel intends to make that way with Seongwoo by his side. He goes back to his screen.

“Daniel, please.” Jisung says. “Just speak with the omega in the evening. It can’t be that hard—”

“You never had a problem with me texting before. I handle over 300 issues at once, not just  _ the omega _ .” 

“It makes you look weak — It makes us look weak. The only reason they brought the omegas into the room yesterday night during the dinner, was because they already heard of your… tastes.” 

Daniel looks up from his screen. “Wait — there were omegas at dinner?” 

Jisung looks like he’s about to snap, but he holds himself the last moment; “Alpha Shu-Chen was insulted. He thought you find the omegas of their city ugly. You would know how displeased he was if you would just raise your eyes once from your screen.” 

Yesterday Seongwoo had claimed that the designer of Daniel’s mansion was dick-obsessed - so he went around the house taking pictures of all the phallic statues and art in the corridors and main halls. Daniel never noticed it before, but he might be onto something.

“Jisung, I’m not here to make good impressions. I’m here to buy a tower, and start a business. I’m not wasting time on pleasantries with people like Alpha Shu-chen, who spends most of his time surrounded by young omegas, who he discards once he gets sick of. He’s exactly the type of alpha I don’t want to associate myself with — exactly what we’re trying to fight—”

“We’ve talked about this. Some sacrifices must be made here. Alpha Shu-chen stayed in wealth even after the floods, despite not having a city. He’s a good strong ally, and he would never swear allegiance with the Ongs.” 

“He only stayed in wealth by stepping over innocent betas and working them to death. He’s a scum and sharing a table with him was much more respect than I am willing to give him.”

“Fair,” Jisung sighs. “We’ll buy Alpha Paihan’s tower.” 

Daniel turns to him fully, surprised. It was obvious that he liked Alpha Paihan better. The man was decent and hardworking, but Jisung wouldn’t even consider his tower. “You said it has low quality facilities and the location is questionable.”

“We’ll invest some more money — and rebuild it. There’s not much we can do about the location, but I’m sure the betas will relocate themselves, once we’ll offer plenty workplaces.” He doesn’t look happy about it either. 

“I get it. Buying the tower from this alpha is against your ideals. But focusing on an omega during business hours is against mine. You can still talk to him, once you’re free. We’re on the same team, Daniel.”

Daniel take a long inhale. He supposes it’s only right. Give-and-take. He puts his screen back into its place on his suit. 

 

.

 

“We - um… just bought a new tower.” Daniel says when the silence stretches for too long. 

The room in the hotel is so big and lavish, that it almost feels empty. 

Everything around the city feels empty. It’s just too big. It almost makes him anxious. 

Most of the towers he had visited had been understaffed and much bigger than what he was used to. Shortage of Alphas but no shortage of space, or cramped offices. Everything’s new, and unexplored, just waiting for somebody to take charge. It’s paradise.  Except it came with a condition; taking up space in a city that almost fully belong to one family, would mean working under somebody else’s territory, constantly. That means operating silently and docilely. 

“Oh.” Seongwoo says; “So you’ll be travelling there a lot.” It’s a statement, but it sounds a lot like a question. 

Daniel nibbles at his lip. “Not really.” He says before he can help it. “There will be alphas left in charge. Jisung will handle it. But I might need to go there every now and then.”

“To intimidate them back into working, I get it. Just don’t show them your eyebrows.” 

“What’s wrong with my eyebrows?” 

“They’re weak looking eyebrows. When you smile they slope down. Like I personally think it’s okay — but it might not be intimidating enough. Maybe if you just make them bolder and darker. What about a unibrow? I think it’ll look good on you. I can paint it so nobody knows. With a permanent marker. We’ll tell everybody it just grew overnight.”

“I’ll think about it.” He smiles. “Hey, since we’re talking about cosmetic procedures, what do  _ you  _ think about tattooing my name on my butt? We’ll say it’s a natural birthmark. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

“Har-har. What did we say about taking jokes too far? You have to be less aggressive, man. It’s not funny. Tone down the alpha-ness. ” He’s less amused about this idea. He’s quiet for another moment or so… then says; “So… judging by the hour, you’re not coming back today either.” 

Daniel presses his lips together and takes a gulp from the glass he poured himself. “There’s still a few things left to do. I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon—”

“That’s what you said yesterday.” 

He leans down the armchair overlooking the city. 

It took him a lot of restraint not to video call him, because he thought it’d be weird if he did — but now he wishes he did. He really wants to see him. 

Not just on a photo - but face to face. 

“I’m bored.” Seongwoo adds, hurriedly. “I made one of the guards cry today.” 

“Stop bullying people.” 

“I didn’t bully him, we were making food, and I made him cut the onions. At first he didn’t want to but then I told him a bulky alpha like him wouldn’t have a problem with some onions. And he puffed his chest, and folded his sleeves like a big boy.” 

“That’s the definition of bullying. You’re making people do things because you smell nice.” 

“Shut up. I made him cry, so it’s an achievement. Also we made food. Nobody ate it - but it’s the thought that matters.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. Jaehwan did say something about it, though it sounded very different than your version — what was the phrase he used…? Oh, right! ‘ _ Your omega burned the kitchens _ .’ is what he said.”

“It was a really small fire, and Woojin put it out after the third try.  Jaehwan’s really dramatic, he yelled ‘we’re going to die’ like five times.”

“I’m glad you’re having fun.”

“No, you’re not.” 

“Okay, I’m not.” 

“Heck yeah, you’re not. You’re super bored on your boring trip, doing boring stuff. Buying towers and shit. Boring.” 

Daniel nibbles at his lip again, trying not to be amused. 

Although Seongwoo was constantly doing something while Daniel was away - it kinda sounded that the person whose been bored with him gone was Seongwoo. 

It was almost like he was putting a good face for him, like he’s so busy and doing a lot of things while Daniel’s away, but at the same time creating things to talk about, and sending his pictures.

Daniel almost didn’t need to read Woojin and Jaehwan’s reports anymore. 

Maybe he wanted to do alpha things again - like back before the facility. Be included in stuff. It sure sounded like it. Even in the facility he used to work. Daniel will talk with Jaehwan when he’s back and see what can be done. 

“It is.” He reassures; “Super boring.” 

“Yeah.” Seongwoo repeats, but much less spiritedly. 

Then he’s quiet again.

 

.

 

Seongwoo calls again when they’re waiting for transport. 

Daniel almost answers, but Jisung puts his hand on the screen before Daniel answers; “No. Finish all the papers, then you can have time for personal calls.” 

They’re sitting in the alpha lounge, and it’s abandoned. As most of this grand new glass city. 

“I haven’t seen him for almost five days now.” Daniel isn’t sure why he needed to say that. Out loud too, when all his alphas can hear. 

Jisung looks surprised, too. It’s an open sign of weakness.

But Daniel can’t wait to come home.

From the moment they’ve finalized all the contract and bid his new executives farewell and good luck, his mind just turned off. All he could think about is Seongwoo, and coming back to see him.

Jisung removes his hand. “But only until the transport arrives. Last time you talked to him for 43 minutes about the merits of your toilet.”

It’s true. He did.  

“You said I can have a break.” Daniel argues. 

If Seongwoo had been pestering him with calls for four days now, today he’s been even more persistent than usually. Daniel couldn’t answer until he finished, but he had called around 30 times, or so. He texted him to update that he peed. Then also called him so Daniel could hear the water flushing after he finished. He said he wanted Daniel to share the experience of the fancy toilet with him. 

He probably thinks he’ll wear him down, by being obnoxious. 

Daniel doesn’t have the heart to tell him he actually enjoys it. 

“Yeah?” Daniel answers, walking up to the window, further away from the seating area, hands in his pockets.

It’s silent for a moment, and then he finally speaks; “Oh wow, you actually answered.” He says. “It only took 31 unanswered calls.”

“But who's counting, right?” Daniel struggles not to show any facial expression, at least not while he’s with Jisung and the team leaders. He turns toward the windows. 

“This is a breach of our contract. You haven’t talked to me for 6 hours. You’re obligated to answer.”

“Just because you’re mine doesn’t mean I have to give you my undivided attention.” 

“I hate to break it to you, but unless I get the attention I rightfully deserve from you, I’m never going to go into heat.” 

“There are so many terms to you going into heat, I’ve lost track.” Daniel sighs dramatically; “You’re much more high maintenance than I thought.”

“Ha!” Seongwoo says while chewing noisily. “You should totally bring me back to the facility first thing when you’re back. So I’ll stop pestering you. Imagine how easy your life would be without me.” 

“So much easier. No more phone calls. Which disturb me so much. Wow, I’m so annoyed right now.” 

Seongwoo’s quiet for a moment, then he says “I hate it when I hear you smiling through the phone. It’s so annoying.” 

He wants to tell him that he’s going home, but he decides not to sound too excited about it. 

Daniel chuckles; “So what are you doing?”   
“Well… me and Woojin decided to see who can survive without sleep the longest.”

“And?”

“I sent you pictures of his passed out body on my bed with my artwork on his face.”

“Oh, that. Yeah. Yeah, I saw that. You even signed on his chin, in case somebody had doubts who it belonged to. Really nice… err…” Daniel opens the photo on the screen again. “I guess that’s like… a penis? With three balls?” 

“It’s a tree! The balls are like… clusters of leaves!” 

“I’m sorry, I’m just so used to you painting penises that can talk—”

“Oh my god, you have no artistic tastes at all. You don’t understand my tortured soul.” Seongwoo is chewing again. “Oh hey, did you know that one of your cooks makes killer creampuffs? I’ve been eating nothing but cream puffs for over 24 hours.”

“Is that why you called 31 times? Are you having a sugar rush?” Daniel hears a shuffling crowd behind him, and glances to see a large entourage arriving into the alpha lounge. 

“No sure - but I’ve been awake for a really long time, so I’m at that point where I just don’t care anymore. Since Woojin fainted on my bed and started drooling, what’s a guy to do? ”

“Stop eating the cream puffs and go to bed.” 

“I’m really bored.”

“I already allowed you to roam free around the house, you can go—”

“It’s not the same.” He sounds petulant, which is kinda cute. “There’s nobody to annoy. Woojin isn’t fun. I may or may have not convinced him that we have empathic telepathy? That you can feel the vibration in my head because you’re my alpha, and all that. So he has to keep me extremely happy, otherwise you get angry. He totally bought it, but now he’s super paranoid, and he thinks you can somehow know everything happening.”

Daniel nibbles at his lower lip. ‘ _ You’re my alpha’ _ has such a ring to it. It gives him a sudden surge of excitement that tightens up the pit of his stomach. “That might actually be true. Who knows? All the studies about omega had been destroyed long ago. ”

Seongwoo snorts, then is quiet for a moment. Daniel can hear him picking on something, probably his bedsheet. “Here’s an idea from the top of my head — next time you’re away for this long, I should go with you. I promise I’ll behave.”

“You  _ never  _ behave. Just two days ago you promised to behave if I’ll  let you roam the house, and the house’s main designer called to say you’ve remodeled 3 rooms, and ordered to have a waterfall in the drawing room?” 

“I like to be connected to nature - hence waterfall. If you take me outside, I won’t need a waterfall.” 

“ _ No _ .” His voices comes out a bit sterner than he intended, when he sees whose entourage came into the room. 

They clean the seat for him, before he sits down. Another servant brings him a coffee from the bar. Hwang Minhyun doesn’t even look up to thank her and keeps his eyes steady on his screen. 

There wasn’t a single other scheduled transport for today, Jisung checked, but then again, if somebody as important as Alpha Hwang Minhyun scheduled his flights, somebody would already abuse it.

“You know why.”

“I won’t wear the veil. Alphas have strong scents, so you can smell it on them. Betas and Omegas not as much. Omegas just smell good. And because I’ll smell good, everybody would like me and won’t suspect a thing. And I’ll be real quiet. Like a mouse.” 

“I’m sorry, but I really can’t imagine you keeping your mouth shut for more than 5 minutes straight.” 

“I can totally be compliant and nice to people. I’m a fucking sweetheart.” 

Daniel chuckles, and decides to return back to his seat. “How about we give it a test run when I reach home? Be a sweetheart. For one hour.”

“Not with  _ you _ ,” He says dismissively. “With other people.” 

“Well, in that case you’re staying home.”

Seongwoo makes a bunch of opposing sounds that sound a lot like whining, which makes Daniel snort. 

There’s a relative silence in the lounge, so when he snorts, some of Hwang’s attendants look up to him to glare him down. 

He ignores the glare Jisung is giving him, and sits down on his chair.

“Fine, asshole. Be like that. But when you’re coming back, expect an actual dick painting on your face.” 

“Oh no.” Daniel leans back and opens a button on his jacket. “Now you really got me in a pinch.”

“I’ll do something even worse than that.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” 

“You just wait.”

“I sincerely hope you’ll give me your worst.” 

“Just remember you asked for it.”

“You have…” Daniel glances at his watch. “8 to 12 hours to plan it all out.” 

“I’m not actually going to do anything, I’m tired and my tummy aches from the creampuffs—” He sounds pouty again which makes Daniel bite his lip, but before he can reply, Seongwoo speaks again; “Hold on — 8 to 12 hours? You’re coming back?” He sounds alert, all of the sudden.

“Yes. I’m still needed at the office, after I return. But I’ll be back home.” 

“Oh.” Is his answer. He doesn’t say anything else for a long moment, until he says; “Okay. Cool.”

“Cool?” 

“Yeah, totally cool.” He takes a loud inhale. “I think I’ll just go to bed.” He feigns a yawn. “Kinda tired.” 

“Okay.” Daniel snorts. “And stop eating cream puffs, Seongwoo.” 

At the mention of the name, Minhyun’s eyes dart up, and land on Daniel. He doesn’t move or shows surprise, but he obviously got his complete attention now.

Seongwoo isn’t the most common name. But it’s not uncommon, either.

Daniel meets his gaze openly. 

“You’re not the boss of me.” Seongwoo continues. Daniel feels the urge to tell him that the person he’s having a stare-down right now, is none other than his former betrothed. 

Would he want to speak with him? 

Is he angry at him too? 

“I kinda am, though.” He tells him. 

“Oh my god, not the ‘ _ I have your rights, Seongwoo _ ’ talk again. Bye, asshole.”

“Goodnight.” 

“FYI,  I’m sleeping in your bed, because Woojin is starfishing, and he’s unexpectedly heavy to move.”

“No, that’s because you have shit stamina. You can’t even lift a plank off the floor.” 

“Can you stop holding that against me? I told you I didn’t want to get splinters, my fingers are very delicate.” 

“Right, right.” Daniel ignores Minhyun’s gaze to look at the city once more. “Like that time you couldn’t run really fast because you were dehydrated.” 

“What can I do? This omega body works against me.” He sighs dramatically.

“We’ll put it into some actual work once I’m home.” 

Seongwoo feigns a cough and says “Not happening even in your wildest fantasies,” really quickly, then coughs again.

“Wow, that was a really long cough. Are you getting sick—” 

He hangs up. 

Daniel licks his lips and sighs, before turning back to Minhyun. He’s still watching him, though now there’s somebody whispering in his ear. 

Jisung leans down to Daniel’s ear, too; “Don’t. Now is not the time.” 

Daniel considers staying quiet for a moment and letting it slide. 

For a moment. 

“Is there a problem?” He asks, loud enough for all the advisors and attendants and executives in the room - even the ones chatting among themselves quietly - to look at him. 

“No.” Minhyun replies. “There’s no problem.” He finally turns his eyes back to his screen. 

The silence stretches until the shuttle arrives, the engines humming quietly outside the lounge’s windows. Daniel’s team starts collecting the luggage and Jisung stands up to leave.

Daniel decides that opportunities like that won’t come by often. 

“Oh, that’s right.” He suddenly says; “That was the name of the kid that died, wasn’t it? The Ong kid — the one you replaced.”

Minhyun raises his eyes again, but this time his gaze is much harsher. His lips twist, but he stays frozen into lips.

“I didn’t replace him. We were to be married, before his death.” He says, and waves away the attendant that leans to whisper in his ear again. 

“Yeah,” Daniels nods; “Why was it that he died again?” 

“An assassination attempt by his teacher.” Minhyun replies. “It’s a wonder you remember that — weren’t you still scavenging dumpsters in the slumps during that time?” 

The room comes to a complete and utter halt. For a moment, Daniel thinks nobody even breathes. 

He would’ve taken it as an insult any other time — except today. Daniel allows a smile to spread on his features; one that makes some of the betas in the room, cringe or look away. Minhyun furrows his eyebrows. 

“I don’t know. Was I?”

“Daniel.” Jisung warns.

Daniel glances at him briefly, before nodding to Minhyun and getting off his chair, buttoning his jacket as he goes. 

Minhyun doesn’t nod back.

Jisung is staring at him, his breathing a bit erratic and his features contorted in worry. He waits until they’ve left the region for good and all the team leaders settled down, before finally closing the door to Daniel’s cabin.

He sits across him, and takes a long inhale.

“Please — Please  _ tell  _ me that’s not the same Seongwoo.” 

Daniel’s been looking out of the window, and leans down his seat, sighing tiredly. “It’s not the same Seongwoo.”

Jisung shakes his head. 

“Daniel, we’re on the same side.” 

“Are we?” 

“Yes. We are. You’re lucky The Ongs spent the best of their money to make sure Ong Seongwoo’s face disappears from the internet and the archives — but Minhyun didn’t forget how Seongwoo looks like. He was betrothed to him for years. His entire attention is going to be on you, and we already have enough problems.” He keeps his voice low. And glances at the door. 

This is not a talk to be discussed publicly. 

The shuttle is filled with the team leaders of his company, but that doesn’t mean they won’t turn their backs on him if the opportunity raises, even if they do appear loyal. 

Trust and loyalty between alphas is a fickle thing.

Even trusting Jisung with this is a risk. 

But although he scolds him, he doesn’t seem angry. Not this time around. He knows ho

“Sungwoon can’t know. You know why.” 

Jisung sets his jaw straighter, but he nods. “Yes.” Is all he says, drumming his fingers on the table between them. “So only Jaehwan knows? Nobody else? We have to keep it that way no matter what. ”

Daniel knows. 

“Don’t worry. He’s too busy to deal with an omega, right now. Seongwoo’s fake name and picture are still in the logs of the facility. Jaehwan made sure of that. He would just see it as a taunt and nothing more.”

“This will work in our favor only if we play our cards right, Daniel.” 

Daniel nods. “I know.” 

“So no more rush decisions like that. We already got too many eyes on us.” 

Daniel looks out of the window again. There’s nothing but sea for as long as the eyes can see. 

For the first time in the longest time he finally has something to anticipate on his way home. 

“We should also do something about the fact that you can’t lie. That was horrible.”

He finally has something to excite him, and keep him sleepless in the shuttle. 

  
  


.

 

The board meeting stretches further after Daniel decides to scrape one of the projects.

People are getting slightly cranky inside the room, but none of them is in a worse mood than Daniel, so they keep their tongues. 

Daniel feels exhausted for the first time in god knows when.

His workaholic lifestyle and the grind he had put in 24/7 into his company had been the reason things have payed off into his favor, and the reason he was able to get this far. He never felt tired, simply because there wasn’t time for exhaustion in his schedule. 

It must be the long break he took, before the break — laziness is infectious, so it seems. 

Jaehwan brings him a cup of hot coffee, just when Daniel feels like he’s about to snap, and gestures at his leg with his chin. Daniel didn’t even notice that he was shaking it restlessly. 

Great, he also developed a nervous tick along the way. 

At first he ignores it, because he promised to Jisung - but he finds himself itching to see what Seongwoo’s doing, and eventually reaching his breaking point.

Seongwoo sent him a stopwatch that was running forward. 12 hours and 4 minutes and the seconds were quickly running forward.

Below it, Seongwoo wrote; “ **You’re late** .”

And then after a minute, he also wrote;  **“I wanted to have my heat today, but that’s not happening. Nothing turns me off worse than an alpha that can’t keep a promise** .” 

Daniel’s shoulders immediately slouch, and he allows himself to lean on his chair — he didn’t realize he was this tense. 

“ **Careful… one might think you’re actually missing me** .” 

“ **Oh, please** .” He returns. “ **I expect a reasonable yet shockingly expensive compensation for my wasted time. How can you even stay awake for this long? What are you even doing?** ” 

Before Daniel can type a reply, Seongwoo answers himself; “ **Wait, are you out murdering people again?** ”

“ **Yes. I’ll bring you a necklace made of fingers from all the people I killed. For compensation** .” 

**“I was thinking something along the lines of a ferris wheel right in the backyard? If you employ over 600 people, I bet it can be done just in time for me to go back to the facility.** ”

“ **Why would you need a ferris wheel?** ” 

“ **The view is absolutely ghastly.** ”

Seongwoo sends a picture of the view outside the window of his room; there’s a pretty sunset above the clouds, but instead of the sun, there’s an out of focused hand showing him the middle finger. 

Daniel snorts. 

He looks up when he realizes it gets abruptly silent in the room. All eyes are turned to him. He clears his throat. “Continue.” He gestures with his hand. He decides not to answer him until the meeting’s over because Jisung is right - it’s hard for him not to give Seongwoo his full and immediate attention, it’s like an obsession.

Seongwoo texts him; “ **Okay, I’ll accept the necklace, if you arrive within the next hour.** ” 

When another hour passes, he writes; “ **We’re back to the ferris wheel, then.** ” 

When the 15 hour mark passes, he writes; “ **That’s how you’re going to play? Fine. I hereby shun you until further notice.** ” 

“ **What’s that, the aristocratic form of silent treatment?** ” Daniel asks once he’s out of the meeting, but there’s no reply, even though it says that Seongwoo had seen his message. 

He sends a few more messages, but gets no reply. He’s  _ actually  _ giving him the silent treatment. A grown man. 

He’s itching to get home after that, skimming through the security details on his screen, and pressing twelve times on the elevator button. 

Jaehwan still begs him to view a few mansion-related issues for approval, so he crushes in his study room’s chair heavily and tells him; “Fine, I’ll do it, but go call him.” 

“He actually left me instruction in case you do call him — he’s sleeping and does not wish to see you.”

“Is that what you were reading in the elevator?”

“Yes.” 

“So he’s not sleeping, if he just texted you.”

Jaehwan purses his lips; “He knew you would say that, so he said to tell that all omegas require beauty sleep and in the case he is disturbed, you will be raised to a higher level of shunning — hold on, I memorized this one… umm…  _ eschewment _ .”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Daniel makes a face. 

“I looked it up, and it’s basically the same as shunning, but worse.”  

“Go call him.  _ In  _ person.” 

“He said that if you’ll ask that — hold on, I forgot.” He lifts up his screen. Apparently Seongwoo’s instructions are page long. “Oh, here it is; _ In the case Alpha Kang Daniel asks for me by sending a staff member, tell him that he is a coward who needs other people to do his job for him, which rids me of obligatory appearance before him, according to the codex of mannerly alpha behavior. _ ” Jaehwan finishes and looks pretty smug with himself, until he sees Daniel’s expression. 

Daniel snatches the screen out of Jaehwan’s hands.

“Hey - that’s private!” Jaehwan argues. 

Daniel skims through the entire thing, scrolling up; “Yeah, well, I own him. So there’s nothing really — Whose Sewoon?” The name seems to appear multiple times in the chat before the instructions came, which concerns him, but before he can read more carefully, Jaehwan snatches the screen out of his hands. “Nobody!” He has a really subtle pinkish blush on his cheeks. “If you want to talk to him, go and talk to him. He’s expecting you.” 

“No. I’m his alpha. He needs to learn how to behave. He already thinks he got me wrapped around his finger.” 

“You  _ are  _ wrapped around his finger—” 

“Go call him.” Daniel pushes him. 

Jaehwan clicks his tongue; “Things have changed around here while you were gone. I like Seongwoo better, now.” 

Daniel growls at him and bangs his fist on the table.

Jaehwan immediately holds his hands up; “Fine! Fine! Jeez Louise! You better think of something good if you’re sending me.” 

“Tell him I officially requested his presence.” 

“That’s not going to be good enough.” 

“Tell him my patience is officially wearing thin.” 

“Fine. I’ll do what I can.”

Daniel sighs. 

He’s back approximately when Daniel’s halfway finished with the files he left him. Without Seongwoo. 

He scratches his head; “He  _ officially  _ rejects your offer. He also  _ officially  _ wanted you to know that if you have any business with him, you should go see him and not the other way around. He also wanted me to  _ officially  _ send you to go fuck yourself, but I’m not going to do that, because I have so much respect for you.” 

Uh-oh. He started cursing. 

Daniel loosens his tie and drops his screen. Fine. If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad.

 

.

 

Seongwoo isn’t even in his room. He’s in the drawing room downstairs.

Reading something on his screen. 

Woojin is standing beside him. He has pillow marks on his face, and he struggles to keep one of his eyes opened. It’s crystal clear he had just been shaken out of his sleep to stand there and pretend he was awake the entire time. 

The same can’t be said about Seongwoo.

He looks absolutely impeccable. 

It’s almost like seeing him anew. Like he was born to sit on the big, throne-like chair, with all the expensive clutter surrounding him. The veil he’s wearing is much shorter, reaching barely the tip of his nose and made out of sparse lace. His jacket is black and tight, geometric shapes held together by thin lines of mesh, fine details adorning his neck and collarbones, and his waists.

It’s by definition not revealing — but something about his poised figure makes Daniel hold his breath for a moment, before inhaling deeply, filling his lungs with the scent of his omega. 

He can’t even smell Woojin in all of that, just Seongwoo’s sweet, fruity smell, that makes his fingertips tingle. 

He notices Daniel coming in - he can tell by how his nose twitches, and how he suddenly raises his chin, but nothing beside that. 

“You do know your screen is backwards.” The black plastic handle is at the top, where it’s usually on the bottom. 

Seongwoo furrows his eyebrows. “This is how I like it. It’s more comfortable.”

“I thought you were sleeping.” 

“Yes. I wanted to read before I go to sleep.” 

“In these clothes?” 

“Perfect clothes for evening reading, don’t you think?” He turns to Woojin and Woojin nods slowly, while staring at Daniel. 

Somehow the image of him wearing simple, clean clothes is all Daniel could imagine him in. It stuck out like a sore thumb in the mansion. It was unusual to see somebody in such simple clothes in a place such as this. It’s the kind of clothes betas on the street would wear, except it was always exceptionally clean and smelled like laundry. Even the servants at the mansion wear meticulous uniforms, only differentiated from one another by faded colors that don’t attract the eye. 

But now he looks like an alpha. Just a crazy attractive one. 

“I wouldn’t want to be caught dead looking like a slob, would I?” Seongwoo finally graces him a long look, focusing on the grey sweatpants with the big pockets where Daniel was keeping his hands. 

“A couple of days ago you were wearing the same clothes.” 

“Yes, because I didn’t have any other clothes, did I?”

Daniel turns to Woojin. “Out.” He gestures his head toward the door. 

“No, Woojin, stay.” 

“No, Woojin — out.” 

“No, he can’t leave; there’s no telling what a brute alpha like you would do with a delicate and unsuspecting omega like me, in a room all alone. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to me, would you, Woojin?” 

Woojin actually looks troubled at that, and Daniel rolls his eyes; “If I wanted to fuck you, I wouldn’t have a problem doing it in front of Woojin.” 

Seongwoo finally looks up from his screen angrily, and Woojin holds up his hands. “Okay, I’m going out, then.” 

“Traitor.” Seongwoo says after him. 

Woojin has the decency to look extremely apologetic on his way out, though.

Daniel sits on the other armchair in the room, once the door is closed and stares at him. 

Seongwoo adjusts his position, and crossed his legs. 

“Are you finished outbratting yourself?” He asks finally, when he realizes Seongwoo isn’t going to speak first. 

“That’s not a word.” 

“Don’t you think your response is a bit of an exaggeration? Just because I was late a couple of hours—”

“6 hours actually. Hardly what can be defined as ‘a couple’.” Seongwoo corrects him. 

Daniel can’t help but be amused with that; “Just admit that you missed me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Daniel leans down the stand between them, giving him a knowing look, until he lifts his eyes up from his screen at him; “No — I’m upset with you.” He says, and lifts his chin again.

“W-why are you upset?” Daniel half-laughs.

“I’m all locked up in the mansion, all day long. You’re not here and you’re busy all the time. The chef hates me because I burned down the kitchen — I feel like a potted flower, waiting to get some water.” 

“Was that an euphemism for—” Daniel stops talking when Seongwoo gives him a nasty look. He sighs; “I already let you roam around free in the mansion — what else do you want?” 

“I want to go out to the city.”

“No.” 

“Why not?”

Daniel shakes his head; “ You know why. It’s too dangerous. Do you really not realize how important you are? If somebody were to recognize you —” 

“I’ll wear a veil and be with Woojin the whole time—”

“I said  _ no _ .” 

“Then take me with you — if it’s dangerous. You’ll protect me better than those baffons you ordered for guards. Problem solved. 

“They’re trained professionals. And there’s plenty of them here. You’re much safer here, where I can see you. Besides, you’ll get bored. I actually _do_ have to work, despite what you think. There’s long board meetings, and just hours on hours of paperwork. Rarely ever do I get to go out on the field so you’ll just be stuck standing there and—” 

“I feel anxious!” He cuts him off, voice raised. “I don’t know! Being here makes me feel — jittery and restless!” He visualizes it by making antsy finger movements. “It drives me insane.” 

Daniel doesn’t know what to say, caught off guard.  

Although he was trying really hard to get on his nerves, Daniel mood had lifted up just from seeing him. With all his little quirks and antics. He entertained the thought of meeting him the past few days, always imagining Seongwoo to be in complete ecstasy over the fact that he’s back home, and immediately showering him with kisses. At least a hug. 

He knew that’s probably not going to happen, but he still doesn’t get why he’s so mad. He rubs his head. 

“You’ve stayed coped up in a dome for 11 years - and that was fine. But I take you out for a week, and suddenly you need to have absolute freedom in order to not lose your wits?” 

Seongwoo makes a face, but doesn’t meet his eyes, like he’s out of arguments. 

“Still doesn’t explain why you’re so angry about me being late.” Daniel adds. 

“I’m tired, I want to go to sleep.” He gets up abruptly, hands crossed on his chest. 

“No, stay.” Daniel tugs him down back onto the armchair.

“I don’t want to.” 

“Why are you being so unreasonable? Just say it. Say what you want to do. You want to what — go back to your family?” 

“No.” He looks even more upset that Daniel suggested it; “That’s the last thing I want.” 

“Do you want to escape? You know you won’t survive a single week outside.” 

Seongwoo glares at him; “I’ll survive longer than a week.” He insists. “I actually use my head, I know the concept sounds alien to you, but I can take care of myself without murdering anybody — it’s just... counterproductive. If I wanted to escape, I would’ve. ” 

“Then what? What do you want to do outside?” 

“I don’t want — anything! I’m just bored.” 

“You literally ordered like a million things online to occupy yourself, how can you possibly be bored?”

Seongwoo opens his mouth — then closes it. Then opens it again, then taps on the armchair a few times.

“You’re to blame for this.” He finally says, voice a bit steadier. “I feel like no effort is put into me.” 

“Is that so? No effort? You get to have your own room, which you picked, with a lock, like you requested. You’re warm, you’re fed, you’re entertained, and you can have literally anything you want. You’re not working, and you’re not forced into anything.”

“That’s hardly putting any effort —  _ you’re  _ not doing anything. I want… emotional involvement. From your direction. I just don’t feel my heat coming any time soon. It’s like dry in here.” He flails his hand..

“We can use lube —” 

He pushes him out of spite and gets up, and Daniel tries not to laugh - even though the back of his nose still produces something of a snorting sound - and holds onto his wrist so he won’t leave. “It’s a joke, joke! Joke!” 

“You want me to have my heat, right? So take this seriously.” 

“Totally serious.” Daniel ressures, trying to muster his expression. “I swear.”

“I want to be properly  _ wooed _ .”

“Wooed.” Daniel repeats after him. “Okay. What else?” 

“Nothing else. Just that. Proper courting. If you want me to stay, show that you’re serious. You’re the one who wants me to be a part of  _ your  _ life. Not the other way around.”

“And if I do that - you’ll stay?”

“That depends if my heat will come before I have to go back. But it’s not going to come if I’m stuck at home while you’re out there killing people.”

“Okay.” Daniel nods. “We’ll do that.”

“No - no we — this is an effort from your side.”

Daniel snorts. “I’ll do my best.” Daniel corrects; “Wooing.  Courting. And no more killing people.”

Seongwoo nods, looking slightly pleased with him, but doesn’t smiles. 

They stare at each other in complete silence, for one moment too long. Daniel licks his lower lip, and Seongwoo’s eyes glance at it, before he abruptly stands up; “Yes. Okay. Good.” He brushes the creases on his jacket, even though he has any. “Goodnight, then, Alpha Kang Daniel. Looking forward for tomorrow.” 

“Because we’ll be doing wooing tomorrow.” 

Seongwoo furrows his eyebrows. “Yes — No,  _ you’ll  _ be doing that.”

“Okay, yeah.” Daniel stands up too. 

Seongwoo looks like he wants to say something but decides not to the last minute, and just walks out. 

 

.

 

When he comes into his room, he’s overwhelmed by how much it smells like Seongwoo. 

Especially the sheets of his bed.

His pillows. 

He closes his eyes when he takes a large whiff of his pillow. 

The leftovers of his scent are sleepy, relaxed. Comfortable. 

He wasn’t scared of sleeping in an alpha’s bed. His alpha’s bed. Daniel too, doesn’t feel like his bed was invaded, despite the fact that Seongwoo was never invited into his room. Even Jaehwan tries not to come in here - always knocks before he does and asks for permission. The maids always spray the scent-removing sprays after they done, even more so then they do in every other room.

Daniel hums and rubs his face all over the pillow and bites his lip. How can somebody just smell so intoxicating? It almost makes him hungry, and although he’s drained, his heartbeat picks up in exhilaration and his head feels cloudy and heavy, all of the sudden, like he’s high. 

God, he turns him on so much. 

He groans into his pillow for a bit, before flipping onto his back and taking out his screen, and pressing on the dictionary option.

“Wooing,” He reads out loud. “(archaic). Courtship. to seek the favor, affection, or love of, especially with a view to mating.” He rubs head, then types in  _ examples of wooing _ . The search results seem like they were all taken from books that predate the great war. Or literature pieces about that period, at least. 

Daniel tries ‘courting omegas’. Nothing substantial. 

To make somebody like him — he should look for what omegas like, right? 

That’s it. That lends him some results. 

They don’t really sound like something Seongwoo would like — but maybe Daniel was the one misunderstanding. Maybe this is what he wanted all along. Seems easy enough to accomplish. 

 

.

 

Seongwoo walks into the dinning room, still rubbing his eyes from sleep. 

“Usually I sleep until noon, so this 7am wake up call is not…” He stops talking when he notices the large bouquets of flowers all over the room. Daniel originally ordered more, but apparently the factory couldn’t handle such a request in such a small time window. 

It’s still enough to fill the table and the floors. Whites, pinks, purples and yellows.

Seongwoo isn’t reacting well to this, though - at least not how Daniel anticipated his reaction to be. He was going for something between peasantly surprised to grateful till tears — but Seongwoo’s expression looks like confused suspicion. 

That’s fine. Nobody ever courted him before the way Daniel will, so it’s okay if he’s a bit overwhelmed. 

“Good morning. I have to leave to work in a bit, but I still wanted to have breakfast with you.” Daniel says, though he’s not sure if Seongwoo actually located his head yet between all the flowers. “Sit.” 

Seongwoo’s nose twitches, but he comes closer, still looking at the flowers. 

Daniel clicks his fingers for the breakfast.

Seongwoo looks up; “Good morning, Junsu.” He greets the servant. “Is there any good news?”

“No - not yet, sir.” The servant smiles. “Yesterday was a false alarm - She had some contractions this morning, too. So I took her to the clinic again, and this time they just told us to stay. Her sister is there with her and she promised to message me if there’s any updates.”

“Daniel, you have to let Junsu have a day off. His mate is in labor.”

Daniel looks from Seongwoo to the beta servant.

He remembers his face, and remembers his scent, that it’s not threatening — but beside that - nothing. There was a time, where he could name everybody who were working underneath him, young and old. Back when they were a gang — a family. Now he only remembers the names of people who are important enough to remember.

It’s odd how invisible these betas are to him. 

“There’s no need for that, sir.” The man offers awkwardly when he sees Daniel’s hesitation, continuing with the dishes he brought, and avoiding his eyes. 

Daniel looks back at Seongwoo. 

He raises his eyebrows at him.

“Sure. You’re free to go. Stay with your mate, until the birth.” Daniel decides. 

The man’s expression is filled with disbelief, but he finishes his business, bows and thanks them both before filing out of the room. 

Daniel isn’t looking at him, he’s looking at Seongwoo. Seongwoo’s smug about it, waving to him until the door is closed, then immdiatly stuffs himself with everything on the table. His cheeks grow in size.

Daniel waits. 

“Why aren’t you eating?” Seongwoo asks with a full mouth. 

“I will in a moment.” He looks at Seongwoo’s food. Then back at Seongwoo. 

Seongwoo slows down while eating immediately, and narrows his eyes, then turns his gaze back at the food. “What?” 

“Nothing. You just look really beautiful while eating.” 

For some reason that makes Seongwoo choke. He coughs aggressively and one of the servants comes to pat his back. The servant offers a napkin, but Seongwoo declines it by lifting his hand, then blenches out everything he was eating back onto the plate, half-chewed. 

He also spits it out whatever leftovers he had in his mouth, while looking straight at Daniel, then digs through all the food on his plates, until his fork finally clinks into something metallic.

He lifts it up. 

It’s a golden necklace.

Seongwoo stares at it for a long moment, before finally saying; “What is this, Daniel?” 

“A necklace.” 

“Why is it in my food?” 

“It’s pure gold. 33 diamonds. The bigger one is Alexandrite. It’s from before the war —” 

“I’m sure once the servants will clean it from the pieces of dough, it’ll look… slightly better.” Seongwoo holds it up for the servant, who immediately relieves him from it, and starts polishing it. He looks slightly guarded, now. He sits straighter, eyebrows furrowed and finds a new plate he can fill up. 

Daniel looks at the servants at the door and gives them the signal. They look at each other briefly, before trudging toward Seongwoo and throwing around red rose petals. 

Seongwoo puts down his fork, when a few land on his food, now clearly angry. 

“And what’s happening now?” 

“Creating a romantic mood. You don’t think that’s romantic?” 

“I’m hungry, and there’s necklaces in my goddamn bread and rose petals in my goddamn eggs. You tell me.”

Just then the actor Daniel hired comes in so they could put on a show, and Daniel signals ‘stop’ by cutting his throat at him, so the man looks dumbfounded. 

Seongwoo glances at him; “What’s this guy is for?” 

“He was just leaving, actually. He wasn’t going to do anything.”

“No - no — do tell what you came here for? Are you going to throw some money bills at me?” 

“He wasn’t going to do anything.” 

Seongwoo looks angrily; “What were you ordered to do?” 

“I was just— I was supposed to hit on you and Master Daniel was supposed to hit me. Lightly. For disrespecting you.” 

Seongwoo turns Daniel. “I knew it. I knew  _ it _ . You googled ‘ _ what omegas like _ ’, didn’t you? And you did the most stereotypical, insulting things on the list. Gave me the most expensive, chunkiest, ugliest and tasteless necklace you found in the city—”

Oh thank god for that. Daniel hated the necklace, but it did say it should look expensive-looking, and Daniel wasn’t sure how  _ subtly  _ expensive it had to be.

“I hate necklaces, for your information — showered me with a bunch of flowers, because all omegas like flowers? And now a display of possession? Because all omegas love that, don’t they? Admit it, you had no idea what is wooing or courting is!” 

“Of course I don’t! I don’t read a bunch of omega books that use pre-war words! What the fuck is wooing? It even sounds funny! How the fuck do you see me gaining your affection then?”

Seongwoo shakes his head and crosses his hands on his chest. He still seems a bit angry, but less now.  

“Take me on a date.”

“What?”

“Take me on a date. That’s courting.”

“Alphas don’t go on dates.”

“Omegas do. I need to feel like I’m properly invested in. Take time out of your busy schedule that isn’t at 7 fucking am, and take me out somewhere.”

“Well, this all connects back to you wanting to get out of the house again, doesn’t it?” 

“Take it or leave it. If you don’t - I’ll find a way out of here myself.” Seongwoo picks up some rose petals out of the bowl  and throws it at Daniel’s face. “How’s that for romantic mood?”   
  


Daniel spits out a petal that got stuck on his lips; “Fine.” 

“Fine?” 

“Yeah. Fine. I’ll take you out. But I chose where.” 

Seongwoo nods, as if that’s okay, shoves all the food with the rose petals onto the previous plate until it’s clean and picks up a new portion. 

“But on a condition.” 

He looks up. “I already told you my condition.” 

“I don’t know why you want so badly to get out of the mansion - but fine, we’ll do that. But this bet goes both ways. If we go on a date,  _ outside _ , like you want — I should get my part of the bargain. One kiss, at the end of the night. Like a normal beta date.”

“Not all dates end with a kiss.” 

“This one will.” 

The maid closest to them, must misjudge the situation, because she throws petals between them. 

They both turn to glare at her in the same time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY! YAY! CHAPTER 15!  
> I'm sorry it doesn't have a kissue yet. Next chapter will have it, instead. I was planning this to include their date in this, but alas.   
> Oh, hey, at least it's 9k long, right? right? :D


End file.
